Match Day Thread Birmingham City v Norwich City

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Round 5

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Birmingham City 3 - 0 Norwich City
FT
HT 1 - 0​

Attendance: 16,295

Date: Saturday 27th August 2016
Venue: St Andrew’s Stadium
Kick-Off: 03:00PM


KIO's not606 Match Preview

This afternoon Birmingham City welcome Alex Neil’s Norwich City side to the St Andrews Stadium in Round 5 of the Sky Bet EFL Championship.
The Blues were beaten by Wolves last time out in a Midlands derby, unable to handle the pace and power of their visitors. Che Adams put them in the lead, but Wolves came back to defeat them 3-1 in their own backyard. Not a great day for the Blues as they also had Jack Storer sent off for head-butting an opponent. Birmingham will be looking for an improvement this season, after finishing 10th last term.

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Jacob Murphy celebrates his goal and Norwich's fourth against Coventry midweek​

Norwich City currently sit comfortably in 4th position, they are unbeaten in all competitions this season. They will go into this game full confidence, after thrashing Coventry City 6-1 in the EFL Cup midweek. The Canaries are in prime position to return to the Premier League, just two points behind the early season pacesetters Huddersfield Town.


Gary Rowett’s Match Preview

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Blues boss Gary Rowett gives his thoughts​

"They [Norwich] have been solid they are a good side, they have got Premier League quality within the side. They have got people like [Alex] Pritchard who I think they played £8m for but who is not fit yet.”

"They have got Jonny Howson, Wes Hoolahan, Cameron Jerome, Robbie Brady, Stephen Naismith - they have got some real good quality players in there.”

"That's what you face in this division, teams that have just come down but have retained players that can give you that kind of extra edge.”

"But we were good against those types of teams last season. In some ways those games suited us even more.”

"The likes of the Middlesbrough, Hull, Derby games - all of those teams that were in the same position as Norwich right now - we were excellent against them.”

"And in some ways the more a team comes to make the running in the game and dominate possession, the more opportunities it sometimes gives us to play the way we can play when we do it properly, we certainly won't be overawed."

"We will be respectful, it's going to be a tough game - any team playing Norwich this season is going to be in for a tough game because I am pretty sure they will finish up and around the automatic promotion spots.”

"It's a good gauge to see how we react. Sometimes you learn a lot about a team after you lose a game and how you react after that.”

"If you react strongly and your character is good that's great, if we don't react well certainly it's something I will have to try and address."

"We have had a few bumps and bruises physically and emotionally as well after the weekend's game."

"I certainly had words in the dressing room afterwards and a few meetings this week just to try and iron it out.”

"Which sounds ridiculous after one defeat in four league games, but I just felt the way the second half went I wasn't happy with that.”

"I don't think the players should be happy with that - and I don't think they were.”

"We certainly needed to address that because one or two things have not been quite right yet and we need to get to the bottom of what they are.”

"That's what football management is, you have to accept sometimes things don't go as well as you would like.”

"I would rather be saying that on the back of one defeat in four rather than four defeats in four, which I am sure one or two people around the country will be in that position this morning.”

"One or two felt sorry for themselves, we are at a point this week where we have had a decent week's training and we will be ready to go again”

Alex Neil's Match Preview

Alex Neil Previews today's game​

“He [Gary Rowett] is a good manager and a lovely chap to speak to, I think he has done a really good job there since he went in. He has stabilised the club and given any money he could push them on even more. They will be what they always are. They will be hard to beat, well-organised, and the lad Clayton Donaldson does a really good job for them at the top end of the pitch. He is a good, honest number nine who takes the ball in and gets them a goal when they need them. They will be hard opposition.”
“I’m not surprised the home results have not quite been as good so far. They are more of a counter-attacking team and away from home it is much easier to set up that way. At home the onus is on you. We know their strengths but it is more about what we focus on, and I would like to think my good players are going to hurt them more.”
“A win is crucial. If we do that, three wins and two draws is a really good start going forward, it allows us to get the international break out of the way, re-focus and then crack on and pick up some more victories.”
“It is a different type of pressure. In the Premier League you are trying to rise to the occasion as the underdog, whereas now we like to think we are favourites in a lot of games so you need to perform.”
Neil is wary of exposing the likes of Ben Godfrey too early in their development.
“I see him as either a centre back or a right back, that is where he is going to be best at, but at this stage it is just about playing. We’ve played him mainly as a centre back but when you are blooding youngsters in the first team what you tend to find is the right back slot is not a bad place, just to get your bearings and then generally good ones bump themselves into becoming centre backs. Sergi (Canos) is another getting better each game. I do demand a lot of them and without doubt they grabbed their chance the other night. I thought the experienced lads were great. They gave us the platform for the young boys to go and do their stuff. I thought they cruised the game.”

Current Form (Last 5 Competitive Fixtures – Most Recent First)

Birmingham City

LDWLD

BIRMINGHAM HOME

Birmingham have conceded in 65% of their last 20 home games.

Birmingham have scored in 75% of their last 20 home games.

In their last 20 home matches against teams positioned above them in the table, Birmingham have scored 1.1 goals per game and conceded 1.7 goals per game on average.

Norwich City

WDWDW

NORWICH AWAY

Norwich have conceded in 95% of their last 20 away games.

Norwich have scored in 45% of their last 20 away games.

In their last 20 away matches against teams positioned below them in the table, Norwich have scored 1.8 goals per game and conceded 1.1 goals per game on average.


MATCH STATISTICS www.kickoff.co.uk

Match History

There have been 63 competitive meetings between these two sides, the first being a League Cup tie at Carrow Road on 25th September 1963 which the Canaries won 2-0. Over the years honours have been extremely even here with the Blues having won 21, City winning 20 and a total of 22 stalemates. Birmingham’s best winning margin in this fixture is 4-0 which they have achieved three times. The first was at St Andrew’s on 4th March 1972 in League Division Two (2nd tier), the second on 20th February 1981 also at St Andrew’s in League Division One (top tier) and the third again at the home of the Blues on 8th December 2001 in League Division One (2nd tier).
The Canaries’ biggest victory over Birmingham was on 15th April 1970 at Carrow Road in League Division Two (2nd tier) when they thumped their visitors by 6 goals to nil.
This is also the highest aggregate score between the two however both sides have shared 6 goals on four other occasions. On New Year’s Eve 1966 in League Division Two (2nd tier) at Carrow Road the game finished 3-3, almost a year later in the same competition and venue on 31st October 1967 Norwich secured a 4-2 victory, Norwich won a League Division One (top tier) home tie 5-1 on 8th September 1982 and Carrow Road also saw 6 goals shared equally on 4th March 1998 in League Division One (2nd tier).

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Iwan Roberts celebrates his goal against Birmingham at the Millennium Stadium​

The most memorable game that has ever been played between Birmingham and Norwich was at The Millennium Stadium Cardiff on 12th May 2002, it was the League Division One (2nd tier) play-off final which the Blues eventually went on to win 4-2 on penalties after the match had finished 1-1 after extra time.

Highest Birmingham City Score

Birmingham City4 Norwich City 0
Birmingham City4 Norwich City 0
Birmingham City4 Norwich City 0

Highest Norwich City Score

Norwich City 6 Birmingham City 0

Highest Aggregate (6)

Norwich City 3 Birmingham City 3
Norwich City 4 Birmingham City 2
Norwich City 6 Birmingham City 0
Norwich City 5 Birmingham City 1
Norwich City 3 Birmingham City 3

Club Connections

Those to have played for both sides include:

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Keith Bertschin in his Canary playing days​

Tom Adeyemi, David Bentley (both loans), Keith Bertschin, Steve Bruce, Kenny Brown, Simon Charlton, Louie Donowa, Greg Downs, Kevin Drinkell (Birmingham loan), Roger Hansbury, Paul Peschisolido and Nathan Redmond.

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Paul Peschisolido​

Current City marksmen Cameron Jerome and Kyle Lafferty have also donned blue with the latter having been loan to Birmingham by Norwich earlier this year.

TEAM LINE UPS:​

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SUBS: Jones (GK), Martin, Bassong, Mulumbu, Lafferty, Maddison, Jo. Murphy.​

Listen to full match commentary on BBC Radio Norfolk

95.1 / 95.6 / 104.4FM, 855 / 873 kHz AM & DAB Digital Radio

With Chris Goreham

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and guest match summariser Mark Rivers

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Don’t forget to tune in to ‘Canary Call’
post match with Rob Butler and Mark

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​

 

Let's see some of the successful players who played during the week on the team sheet.

 

I will reply when the thread has been done properly sorry for any Inconvenience caused in the meantime .

 

**** a duck Jerome isn't even in the squad Naismith up front Canos and Jacob start

 

As promised Duncan OP now up and running

 

It's terrific babes

 

TEAM: McGovern; Whittaker, Bennett, Klose, Brady; Tettey; Ja. Murphy, Howson (c), Hoolahan, Canos; Naismith. #ncfc

I'd rather RM than Whittaker, but overall VERY pleased with the team!!!

 

4-6?

 

Who knows - Sergi and Jacob could terrify Brum and Maddison to come on with about 30 minutes to go!!!

 

He's not named as a sub

 

Just corrected my post!!!

 

Nice one KIO, if anyone correctly predicted ths full team and subs, please, what are tonight's lottery numbers!

 

I kid you not Dave, I didn't start this thread until 12:45PM and I was in a blind panic as I didn't want to let you all down as I had promised a proper thread today

 

Where's big Jerome?

 

KIO and well done.
As Dave says, who would have got anywhere near that team and good to see Maddy on the bench!!!!

 

Either being rested or picked up an injury.

 

Off somewhere to help finance the Oliviera deal

 

Well you've done a first class job KIO, take a bow!

 

Radio commentary for the far flung