B F T G_brum

[Cureton's Volley]

For much of the second half they were as quiet as we were. Apart from about 6 blokes at the back.

Agreed.

Also to the whingers who moan about 'sitting in silence' - I would like to know if any of you actually tried starting something to break it?

[sandman]

I just find it cringeworthy when they sing to Brum "Your support is shite" after we go 2-0 up having pretty much sat in silence for an hour. Brum didn't bring that many but they made a fair bit of noise.

"You support a load of shit". They were the ones singing "Your support is shit".

No Ian - WE actually started singing it ourselves after going 2-0 up. Embarrassing seeing as we'd sat in silence up til then.

Why were you embarrassed? Do you know any of the Birmingham fans? Will you be seeing any of them again between now and the 22nd of March?

Simply don't understand why people get embarrassed by things like this. Who gives f[u]ck what the opposition fans think? All that matters is we got 3 points and they didn't.

[Maguire]

Guthrie 7.5 Almost undid his work a couple of times late on messing around with the ball in front of our box. Lucky with the first free kick good finish for the second. Still a lobster chucking dickhead with a shit haircut though, in fairness to the barber, Danny's head was probably in the wrong place when it was getting done

Missed this

[floyd__streete]

You mean...fair play for being played and getting on with it, his whole intention from the day he signed on with us.....

Was it 'his whole intention' when he refused to play at Sunderland because 'his head wasn't right'? People rightly remember this I'm afraid, because it casts some doubt over his character. He's playing well in the comfort-zone of a lower division.

[Westwood52]

Please don't start having a go at Guthrie-he is a class apart in this division-I was surprised how tired he was last 5 minutes yesterday and HRK was absolutely gone; have also seen Morro/Pog/McAnuff totally knackered late in games-yet Gunter and Alfie (and Jem before his injury)-look as if the could do another 90 minutes-apparently different players achieve different fitness levels.

I don't know anything about sports science-but apparently there is not much you can do about these fitness discrepancies amongst different players.

Is this right ?

[Millsy]

You mean...fair play for being played and getting on with it, his whole intention from the day he signed on with us.....

Was it 'his whole intention' when he refused to play at Sunderland because 'his head wasn't right'? People rightly remember this I'm afraid, because it casts some doubt over his character. He's playing well in the comfort-zone of a lower division.

+1

But let's not bring this up. It's all water under the Wayne now with new manager and all, and he's a year older. I don't know how or why anyone brought this up but it's irrelevant now. All we need to know is that he's doing well for us and long may it continue.

[P!ssed Off]

Please don't start having a go at Guthrie-he is a class apart in this division-I was surprised how tired he was last 5 minutes yesterday and HRK was absolutely gone; have also seen Morro/Pog/McAnuff totally knackered late in games-yet Gunter and Alfie (and Jem before his injury)-look as if the could do another 90 minutes-apparently different players achieve different fitness levels.

I don't know anything about sports science-but apparently there is not much you can do about these fitness discrepancies amongst different players.

Is this right ?

This is likely why Gunter pips Kelly to the starting 11. His stamina is phenomenal.
It's not necessarily to do with fitness, it's stamina.
Drenthe could train for 5 years for a marathon, he'd never beat Gunter or Karacan.

[Ian Royal]

Finally, LMFAO @ McCarthy kicking it right at Zigic. Dangerous game to play that one. But well worth it given the outcome today.

Zigic was the one playing games, and dumb ones at that ! 2-0 down with minutes to go why would you slow the game up by stopping the keeper getting the ball into play ? He even held his hands up once to pretend he wasn't doing it then when right back and obstructed McCarthy. Inevitable yellow and precious time wasted. Clueless and what he saw to argue about escapes me ....

I think it was that he got in the way, and got away with it. Then just stood still, only for McCarthy to not take a sidestep and kick it up field, but instead just deliberately boot it straight into him where he had no chance of not getting hit.

Is there anything in the laws about not being close to the keeper, or having to get out of his way?

If the ref hadn't blown, then McCarthy had a race for the ball with a potentially stupid goal to conceed. Although it wouldn't have effected the outcome.

[melonhead]

Being the 'big fish' in the small pond is undoubtedly much more fun.

LOL @ 'big fish'. I think you'll find that is QPR m8, they've spent big and are running away with it.

Played no one decent tbf

[Ian Royal]

Being the 'big fish' in the small pond is undoubtedly much more fun.

LOL @ 'big fish'. I think you'll find that is QPR m8, they've spent big and are running away with it.

Played no one decent tbf

I'm not sure you can be running away with it before the league table has real meaning and you've only got a points advantage equivalent to one game, either.

Especially when all of the top seven are in automatic promotion form. AT LEAST five of those teams are going to drift and QPR could very easily be one of them.

[genome]

Karacan anonymous again

[melonhead]

Decent performance. Very solid now Growing with every game. Guthrie not sd good as last game MOM Just. Pushed hard by Pearce, as well as pog and Gunter who both had their best games for us. Really rather promising

[RoyalBlue]

Finally, LMFAO @ McCarthy kicking it right at Zigic. Dangerous game to play that one. But well worth it given the outcome today.

Zigic was the one playing games, and dumb ones at that ! 2-0 down with minutes to go why would you slow the game up by stopping the keeper getting the ball into play ? He even held his hands up once to pretend he wasn't doing it then when right back and obstructed McCarthy. Inevitable yellow and precious time wasted. Clueless and what he saw to argue about escapes me ....

I think it was that he got in the way, and got away with it. Then just stood still, only for McCarthy to not take a sidestep and kick it up field, but instead just deliberately boot it straight into him where he had no chance of not getting hit.

Is there anything in the laws about not being close to the keeper, or having to get out of his way?

Don't know where it is stated(and too busy to look) but there is a clear understanding that opponents are not allowed to deliberately obstruct the runs/kicks/throws of keepers. Can stand in front but not reposition themselves to continue to obstruct the keeper's run/clearance.

[Royal Ginger]

I think it was that he got in the way, and got away with it. Then just stood still, only for McCarthy to not take a sidestep and kick it up field, but instead just deliberately boot it straight into him where he had no chance of not getting hit.

Is there anything in the laws about not being close to the keeper, or having to get out of his way?

Don't know where it is stated(and too busy to look) but there is a clear understanding that opponents are not allowed to deliberately obstruct the runs/kicks/throws of keepers. Can stand in front but not reposition themselves to continue to obstruct the keeper's run/clearance.

I admit to not having an understanding of this rule, but was surprised when he got carded. How come Tabb didn't get a yellow card when he was knocked out? Surely his jumping was obstructing the ball?

[Ian Royal]

Zigic was the one playing games, and dumb ones at that ! 2-0 down with minutes to go why would you slow the game up by stopping the keeper getting the ball into play ? He even held his hands up once to pretend he wasn't doing it then when right back and obstructed McCarthy. Inevitable yellow and precious time wasted. Clueless and what he saw to argue about escapes me ....

I think it was that he got in the way, and got away with it. Then just stood still, only for McCarthy to not take a sidestep and kick it up field, but instead just deliberately boot it straight into him where he had no chance of not getting hit.

Is there anything in the laws about not being close to the keeper, or having to get out of his way?

Don't know where it is stated(and too busy to look) but there is a clear understanding that opponents are not allowed to deliberately obstruct the runs/kicks/throws of keepers. Can stand in front but not reposition themselves to continue to obstruct the keeper's run/clearance.

So, like I said, should have been carded the first time, got away with it and then McCarthy deliberately kicked it against him the second time.

[RoyalBlue]

I think it was that he got in the way, and got away with it. Then just stood still, only for McCarthy to not take a sidestep and kick it up field, but instead just deliberately boot it straight into him where he had no chance of not getting hit.

Is there anything in the laws about not being close to the keeper, or having to get out of his way?

Don't know where it is stated(and too busy to look) but there is a clear understanding that opponents are not allowed to deliberately obstruct the runs/kicks/throws of keepers. Can stand in front but not reposition themselves to continue to obstruct the keeper's run/clearance.

I admit to not having an understanding of this rule, but was surprised when he got carded. How come Tabb didn't get a yellow card when he was knocked out? Surely his jumping was obstructing the ball?

I think it's because the ref has to take a number of factors into account, such as how far away from the keeper the player is, and how deliberate the obstruction is. In Tabb's case, maybe he felt the player was so small that the keeper really should have been able to clear without any problem! Alternatively he might have thought Tabb had been punished enough and would have learned his lesson! (Bit like Jem's challenge that got himself injured might ordinarily have been a bookable offence). But did Tabb stop a kick from the keeper's hands? (can't rememeber the incident in full now).

[Royal Ginger]

I think it's because the ref has to take a number of factors into account, such as how far away from the keeper the player is, and how deliberate the obstruction is. In Tabb's case, maybe he felt the player was so small that the keeper really should have been able to clear without any problem! Alternatively he might have thought Tabb had been punished enough and would have learned his lesson! (Bit like Jem's challenge that got himself injured might ordinarily have been a bookable offence). But did Tabb stop a kick from the keeper's hands? (can't rememeber the incident in full now).

Watched it back and it wasn't from the keeper's hands (that's not the way i remember it).

Anyway, just read it up, it's a foul if a player prevents the keeper from releasing the ball from his hands. So there it is.

[RoyalBlue]

Didn't think any player had a bad game although, as Adkins said after the game, there is still far more to come from them all. And I think every player displayed something yesterday that they can each work on to improve (in McCarthy's case it is still his distribution - you really don't expect your keeper to pick out an opponent with a throw!, although his kicking is definitely improving).

Thought Guthrie again bossed the game - it really doesn't matter whether this is, as someone said, because he is in his comfort zone in the Championship. Time not to start worrying who takes over from him should he get injured/suspended.

Thought Pog had an excellent game. Completely disagree with the person who claimed he didn't win many of his headers. His hold up play and general strength on the ball was excellent, work rate fantastic and at times he displayed a lot of skill and some excellent passing. In the second half he produced an excellent cushioned volley to set ALF on the edge of the area. I reckon that come January everybody will be worried that a bigger club will come in and tempt Pog away.

Some of the quick/slick passing football we produced was absolutely delightful. Loved the moment in the first half when Guthrie pinged a diagonal pass from central position to Gunter wide on the right touchline. At first it looked as though it was too high for Gunter but he cushioned the ball on his chest and, as it came down, flicked it past his marker before racing down the right and firing over a wicked cross/shot that their keeper just managed to push away.

Also saw the best half-time entertainment for years, thanks to the long-haired boy (after much debate we decided it was a boy) wearing the yellow keeper's top in the American style penalty shoot out. Things just didn't seem to be going well for him and, after every goal conceded, he turned and had an argument with a guy seemingly coaching him on the the sideline who, given his equally long and strange hair style, we assumed was his dad.

Not content with getting frustrated with his mentor, the kid then started to squabble with the other keeper as to whose turn it was to go in goal. Soon after that, one of the penalty takers fired in a shot that necessitated the keeper taking rapid evasive action as it narrowly flew past his head. Clearly shocked and somewhat upset, he turned to his dad for sympathy.

But things could only get worse for him! The very next time he was in goal he wasn't as quick to move his head and the shot caught him smack in the side of the face! Now I know you shouldn't laugh at that sort of thing but I was by no means the only one in Y21 who practically had tears streaming down their face.

Thing was, the smack in the face seemed to fire the keeper up and he finally managed to save a penalty to earn a big cheer from those watching in the East Stand. Then, finally realising it was American style shoot out, he quickly closed the next penalty taker down to finish on a real high with a good save that was again greeted with a cheer (so in the end I was able to feel a lot less guilty about laughing abouthis earlier antics).

[AkpansBFF]

How is Obita 6.5? He did nothing of any use and continually gave the ball away. I know we all like the kid but his 10 minutes today were sh*t.

Alf 7?

And while we're at it how does piss-poor-distribution-and-otherwise-not-seriously-tested McCarthy get an 8.5?

Thought obita didnt really get a chance. Alf was okay ish but not great, McCarthy kicks and throws were shit but I thought he got tested 2-3 times and stuck to it but maybe a 7.5-8 would be better?

[AkpansBFF]

And Kellys sweet cross to Pog should at least earn him a 6.5! What exactly did Gunter do that Bridge didnt? I would say he played well but not better than any other defender.

Kellys positioning in the box let him down! I thought bridge was alright didnt do much of his skill this week though but I thought Gunter wasnt his usual pussy self and he cut in a few times and wasnt scared to beat his player