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Game #32 (31 for our hosts), or T-minus 15 on our cup finals countdown, sees a Bluebirds team desperate for any kind of result travel to the midlands for a visit to St Andrews and Birmingham City.
Our hosts sit just a few places above our struggling 21st placed City in 17th spot but some 9 points better off thanks to a very recent revival in form (how typical can you get, just as we get to play them they start clicking).
With 2 wins on the bounce, the Blue Noses will I'm sure be relishing taking on our band of cannon fodder. With a “robust” forward line that boasts Troy Deeney, Lukas Jutkiewicz and Scott Hogan, our defence is sure to be in for a “proper game”. Indeed, Sabri has pretty much indicated as much in his pre-match comments so far, stating;
"Birmingham will be a different type of game (to Middlesbrough). Probably more direct, probably more duels, more long balls, more fighting in the middle. Even for the set-pieces, because they are a good team. They had a very good result against another good team, West Brom. They have quality."
Earlier this season (in fact it was just our 2nd game) we saw our swashbuckling Bluebirds play Brum off the park at the CCS in a game where the 1-0 scoreline flattered our visitors and indeed the visiting Brummies failed to register a shot on target all game. Just reading back through the home match thread, it's easy to forget how hopeful many of us were that our new style was already starting to pay dividends, how wrong could we have been eh?
The corresponding fixture last season saw us play out an entertaining 2-2, with Mark McGuinness equalising at the death in 91st minute, rescuing a point after seeing the City 2-0 down at half time.
Showing how much of a change our team and squad have undergone since then, of the 18 players in the squad that day, just 7 remain with the club today.
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Mark McGuinness shows that in added time he can be Pure….. Class(?)
Early Bluebirds Team News
We could potentially see the return (again) of the lesser spotted senior Colwill after his knock last weekend.
With the switch in formation just after half time v Boro on the weekend making us look far more robust and (dare I say it) a little more creative, could we see a 4-5-1 type formation from the off?
Sory Kaba is likely to keep his starting berth after opening his account for the Bluebirds and showing some generally decent link up and hold up play that has been missing for us this season.
The return of Mahlon Romeo was a bonus on the weekend and we can but hope that he has no ill effects from his time on the pitch v Boro. Of course, if Clingo is able to get the word out to our SAS management duo, Perry Ng could also come back into contention if we decide to go down the wing back route.
Prutton & Co (aka the anti-Bluebird alliance) Predict
I really should just start copying and pasting this section from game to game….. by all accounts we are set for another 2-0 reverse according to Sky’s very own Nostradamus!
The bookies too seem to have it in for us again….. surely it’s about time we finally get one over om them?
Home Win 5/4 Draw 11/5 Away Win 23/10
Fun Fact
Whenever one thinks of English teams in major European finals, you tend to think of Manchester United, Liverpool or Chelsea. However, Birmingham City were the first English team to reach a major European final. They did so in 1960 when they were invited to enter into the second edition of the Inter Cities Fairs Cup, a precursor to the modern Europa League. Birmingham were invited due to the city being among a number of cities that had recently hosted trade fairs and their route to the final consisted firstly of a 4-2 aggregate win over a representative team from Cologne. They then defeated a Zagreb XI 4-3 on aggregate before overcoming Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise 8-4 again over a two legged tie.
The final would Birmingham pitted against FC Barcelona. The first leg ended in a credible 0-0 draw at St. Andrews, but at Camp Nou Birmingham were no match as Barca jumped into a 4-0 lead with two goals credited to Hungarian striker Zoltan Czibor. Brum would get a late consolation goal through Harry Hooper but the tie was lost.
Sharing The Love
Few more names to add to the ones from the home thread, including one interesting one that I’m sure many of you “seasoned” fans will remember well, though his time with us was a little before my own regular attendance.
A previous club record signing, way back in 1979 at £130,000, Billy Ronson enjoyed just two seasons in the Welsh capital. Proving to be a reliable presence with 90 appearances, sadly he managed just four goals, although one of those is etched in Cardiff folklore when Ronson popped up to score the winner in a South Wales Derby against the Bluebirds’ bitter-rivals Swansea City at Ninian Park on April 7, 1980.
In the end Ronson became disillusioned with Cardiff and moved to Wrexham in 1981. He went on to feature for Barnsley, Birmingham and Blackpool again before heading back to the States to finish his career.
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Oh where have you been Billy Boy, Billy Boy....
Notable shout outs also to 2 of my favourite full backs from some of my earlier days in getting to Ninian Park in the shape of Ian Rodgerson and Nicky Platnauer
emoticon-0159-music1 nil down, 2-1 up, we knocked Chelsea out the cup
) and of course another who was a decent publican and player who was part of a dynamic strike duo.
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So, which Blues will be singing the blues at full time? Can we make the Brummies feel a little peaky at the final whistle as our boys play a blinder?? If Kaba nets, will we be able to shelve plans for relegation???
All I know is, whilst it's getting a little too perilous for my liking towards the bottom end of the table, I'd still rather be a Bluebird than anything else on offer!!
Bloooooooooobirds!!!!!
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