Birmingham City 1, West Ham 0: Colin Tattum's big match verdict
Dec 14 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
IN THE verbal tennis that has been played out since the changing of the St Andrew’s regime, we’ve perhaps lost sight of what’s the root cause of Blues’ fine run of form.
We’ve had claim and counter-claim about financial liabilities, pay-offs, the spectre of criminal action, jibes about hairdressers and pornographers, David Sullivan and Karren Brady basking in the reflective glory for, they claim, leaving behind a good team and a fine legacy.
Peter Pannu’s answer to that last one – "Carson Yeung is a better chef with the same ingredients’’ – was memorable. Without quibble, the new broom of Yeung, his fresh approach and enthusiasm has been a contributory factor toward this heartening spell, which now stands at seven games undefeated and four straight victories.
But lest we forget that throughout all of this, from the time it became clear the momentous shift in club control was going to happen, Alex McLeish has maintained a steady equilibrium – even back to last season, when he was under fire from the terraces and undermined in the boardroom.
He fashioned a new team with the budget given to him by the old guard after negotiating Blues through that tortuous Championship promotion campaign without a moan, recruiting carefully, shrewdly and, in some cases, inspirationally.
Eck and his coaching staff stuck to their guns about a ground base of shape, defensive solidity and organisation, went to 4-4-2 when the right personnel became available, and encouraged passing, possession and belief.
For their part, Blues’ players should be commended for the application they have shown, the pride they take in their own standards and the shirt and the togetherness, which has been strengthened by the Yeung "we are family’’ mantra. And there is no absence of quality and intelligence from their play out there on the field.
Blues are replicating the early Premier League days under Steve Bruce between 2002 and 2005-ish. Only this time, there is every likelihood that, with the right decisions taken in the next transfer windows and right decisions taken off the field to re-engage the support and commerce (and also settle on the hierarchical structure after Sammy Yu’s apparent sidelining), Blues could grow into something even better. West Ham, the team
