No substitute

Birmingham City 1 Toon 1

'Suppose it could have been worse. A point at St Andrews, it all felt a bit like a draw in a cup game. Sort of vaguely satisfying, but not quite enough somehow.

The positives of last night were,

• starting with 3 up front with Oba amongst them - for me the main difference between tonights game and the abject surrender at Liverpool
  
• a very good performance from Butt, who seemed show a passion for the game that so many of his colleagues lacked
• EMO scored a goal (which maybe will be priceless at the end of the season)
• We came back from a goal down for the first time since the ball had laces in it
• We could have won it and the overall performance was so much better than against Liverpool
  

The negatives of last night were

• Joey Bloody Barton - As BAWARAL said " Just do everyone a favour, Joey, and plead guilty" He was awful all night.
• Geremi's corners were, by and large, complete rubbish
  
• Faye - for a man with physique of a heavyweight boxer in his prime, he was humiliated by the lightweight that was James McFadden for their goal - and left on the turf on his arse
• No wingers, until Charlie Zog came on
• Mark Viduka looked knackered after 15mins, but played the full 90.

However, the most baffling thing of the night was the decision to substitute Obafemi Martins with about 20 mins to go. He made Owen's goal, he was a threat throughout the whole of the 2nd half, and most of all his pace troubled the Birmingham defence - which is more than Owen or Viduka did. I was one of the ones that booed when I saw the No 9 go up on the subs board. I've expressed my thoughts on this before, but Keegan cannot make a sensible substitution to save his life - he didn't do it the first time here, nor for England, nor for City... Last night it was just baffling. Why put on Charlie Zog when Martin's was doing so well... I was baffled and so were those around me.

Still, a point has moved us up a place in the table, it could have been worse... It makes Saturday's game another really important one and we must get 3 points from Fulham.

Funniest things from last night :-

• the slowest pitch invasion in the world, and all the guy succeeded in doing was getting 3000 Geordies to laugh and wave at him
• Liam Ridgewell catching the ball because he thought the offside flag had been raised.. The look on his face as the free kick was given was priceless
  
• the unmarked police car that swept into the away end with three coppers in uniform looking all important. One of them got out, put on his helmet and went to the boot of the car... Opened it and got out an empty tea urn.., Two thoughts, (a) was this a sanctioned use of tax-payers money? (b) why did he feel the need to put is helmet on, afraid that the Northern ruffians might try to beat him up for us urn???

So, until Saturday comes... As a fanzine once named itself.

PMT

Oh, I've got it so bad - I'm irritable, can't concentrate, and I've got a slight headache just behind my eyes... The cause of this? Pre-Match Tension. Tomorrow against Birmingham is going to be the most important game of the season for us, bar none.

Needless to say the press knives are sharpening again, stories about Viduka falling out with Keegan, about plans to replace Keegan, about Man City wanting Owen (have him, please, EMO can then be your problem) All nonsense, of course, but it all manages to increase the pressure and fills more column inches.

I was tempted to write that tomorrow will be our cup final - but we always lose them. So, I just say thanks to Chelsea for keeping the mackems in their rightful place - just below us, here's hoping that Wigan do the same later today against Bolton. Mostly I just want to see 31 points against our name in the paper on Tuesday morning .

Howay the lads

Game No 13....

Glutton for punishment or what... Got a ticket for St Andrews on Monday night now. One the advantages of working near Birmingham is that it means I don't have a five hour journey home after a Monday night game... in fact it might be the only advantage.

I'm sure it will be grim, again. Birmingham are two places below us and two point behind us... So apparently that makes this a "six pointer"... I was relieved that they got nothing from Portsmouth yesterday, but at least they are scoring goals, which is more than our attack is doing at the moment. Please Kevin, give Oba a start... he's so much more convincing than either Owen or Smith (who last scored when players were paid in pounds, shillings and pence). However, we will be without Milner as he's injured after the Anfield humiliation, but ring the bells... Joey Barton is available for selection. Deep joy.

I also found myself watching Bolton on the TV tonight, and willing them onto win. This is odd because Bolton still pay terrible football and irrationally I want to blame Bolton Wanderers for employing Allardyce and leading him to the door at St James' Park. Anyway, I wanted them to win tonight, not out of a desire to see a Premiership club progress in the Uefa cup, but in the hope that a cup run would distract them sufficiently from their position in the league. Needless to say they lost. Bloody typical.

Anyway, Monday will be game 13 since our last win. Unlucky number? I still say that we make our own luck. If Newcastle don't win and other result go against us then we will be replacing Bolton in that 3rd from bottom. Time for the battle cry and unwavering support for the full 90 mins from the fans - I'd even cheer if Barton scored. Fickle or what?

Phew

Toon 2 Birmingham City 1

Lucky? Fortunate? Jammy... yup, Saturday's result was all of those. But, it was also hardworking, gutsy and deserved. Its an old adage, but you make your own luck. A penalty that on some days wouldn't have been given and a corner that was deflected off Beye's shoulder.

Anyway the Blues fans that I work with seem to conveniently forget Jerome's novel way of defending when last man on the wall... I know I've never played the game, but I'm fairly sure you aren't allowed to bat the ball away with your arm in the penalty area.... And they also seem to forget the squandered chances in front of the goal. But hey, what are rose tinted glasses for?

Saturday was just the result that the Toon needed. Three valuable points and three winnable games in front of us now, Wigan, Fulham and Derby (although not necessarily in that order) if we get some of this right then we should be able to rise a little off the mid-table obscurity that the Toon seems to excel at.

Also, I've taken a difficult decision this week - I'm not going to the away game at Man Ure. The prices have almost doubled in the past three years. Bearing in mind that this is the one game a year I usually walk to its been a difficult decision - but I'm not paying £47 to see us loose to them... as usual. Tough one - but its around the Wigan and FA Cup game v Stoke and I know which I'd prefer.