Match Day Thread Birmingham versus Norwich kick off 12:30 Saturday

Head to head

Norwich 30 wins
Draw 23
Birmingham 23 wins


So as we splutter over the line our destiny is very much in our own hands.
A draw or better will guarantee a play off spot with only an 8 goal swing with Hull thumping Plymouth & Brum putting several past us .

There won't be too much sympathy From me as they knocked us out in 2002 breaking hearts, as we lost on Penalties in the worst imaginable way .
Big Iwan putting us in the lead in Wales before drawing & losing after extra time .


Team news

Looks like Barnes will miss tomorrow & doubtful for any play off matches due to a fresh injury.

Rowe back to full fitness with Handley hopefully making the squad .

With Birmingham fighting for survival at home the atmosphere should be pretty frantic , but we need the points to make it safe & to carry on our undefeated recent run .

Many of us will be surprised that we are in this position after Wagner only just kept his job during the terrible run , but all credit to him & the players for having the minerals to pull us back from the brink .

More content to follow

OTBCNMTD


Live on Sky or Radio Norfolk with Chris Goreham & Simon Lappin aka the King of Spain .

 

Realistically, a play-off place is secured for Norwich City - it's going to need a football miracle for Hull to go to Plymouth, who need points as well for different reasons, and turn around an eight-goal swing.


Norwich just need to go and make sure that they don't have to depend on anybody else.

On a personal level, the fact they are at Birmingham on the last day of the season, you look at where they are in big relegation trouble, and May 2002 does spring to mind.

Losing to them in the play-off final at the Millennium Stadium that year was obviously one of the biggest disappointments, not just of my seven years at Norwich but my footballing career as a whole because we were within touching distance of the Premier League.


I was going back to Cardiff, scored the opening goal as well – and I was thinking that was the winning goal, the golden goal. I celebrated with 45,000 supporters in yellow shirts, unbelievable scenes, and then as I straightened my collar, I saw Geoff Horsfield and Stern John ready to take the kick-off – and I knew then it wasn’t a golden goal.

It went to penalties. I took the first - don't know why because you want to get off to a good start and I wasn’t very good at penalties, but I thought when I've scored in the game, I might as well take one. It was in front of their end and I was getting absolute dog’s abuse from the Birmingham fans. They had Nico Vaesen in goal and he was seven foot 10 or something and he filled the goal, but I sent him the wrong way with one of the better penalties that I've taken.

Of course, at the end of the day we lost and I remember sitting down on that Millennium Stadium turf, my head in my hands and I shed tears, I cried. We had to stay out there and watch people assemble the stage and see the Birmingham players one by one get their medals and then the trophy and there were fireworks and everything that goes with winning.


And I thought then, this is my last chance of playing in the Premier League. I was 34 and yes, I still felt good enough to carry on playing, which I did for another two years. But I just thought that was our chance. I thought with the squad that we had, that was our chance - not knowing what would happen two years later, when we signed Hucks (Darren Huckerby) and went one better won the league.

But then, I was told my services were no longer required, so I obviously left the club.

I’ve said it many times that it doesn't matter what sport you play, you'll always get a chance for a little bit of payback. I guess this could be the chance not for me personally or the team and the squad of 2002, but for Norwich to get a little bit of payback for that really sad day in May and send Birmingham down.

Would it be closure? Possibly...

Sometimes, as people, as supporters, as owners, as players, you’ve got to be careful what you wish for. At the start of the season, they did well under John Eustace - maybe they didn't play the most attractive style of football, but he had done well at the football club, and they sacked him in October with the club sixth in the Championship, because they wanted a big name and they brought in Wayne Rooney.


Now they are third from bottom staring relegation in the face and knowing they have to beat Norwich to stand a chance.

There's no pressure on Norwich, by the way - there's a big difference in pressure when you're going for promotion and pressure when you are fighting relegation.

There are huge repercussions - obviously from a personal point of view, you will have a clause in your contract that says your wages go down.

But then there might be redundancies at the club and that’s horrendous. People say players don't care but they do care if people lose their jobs. People you have been around every day become friends and you don't want people to lose their jobs because you've not done your job on the football pitch.

For Birmingham to be where they are now, when they were sixth and sacked John Eustace - sometimes you get what you deserve.

PREDICTION TIME

So, how about a few predictions to see where Norwich end up in the play-offs.

With Leicester crowned champions their game is irrelevant, so let’s look at the other:

Ipswich v Huddersfield: I had some great times at Huddersfield and it breaks my heart to see them in the position they are in. It's a good club. But you finish where you deserve in a 46-game season. The atmosphere at Portman Road will be absolute bedlam! Home win.

Leeds v Southampton: Two relegated teams, Southampton have lost their last three. Beaten at home by Stoke a week ago with a weakened team. Russ Martin knew after the 5-0 defeat Leicester that there was no way of top two so he’s rested a few. I can see where’s he’s coming from, but do you want to go into the play-offs losing four on the pin? For Leeds and Daniel Farke, it is must-win - and I think they will.


Daniel Farke (Image: PA Images)

Birmingham v Norwich: I'm going for a draw. Norwich do need to go for it rather than be too conservative. I want to see them go at Birmingham from the start and kill the game off as early as they can.

West Brom v Preston: West Brom are in decent nick, to be fair, Preston have lost their last four now and haven't scored in any of them. Home win.

Plymouth v Hull: It’s a tough game for Hull. Plymouth have a decent home record, although they lost five on a spin before a draw and then a win over Leicester. I think they will beat Hull.

So on that basis, Ipswich go up automatically with Leicester and Norwich will play Leeds in the play-off semi-finals.

The one bonus for me is that Norwich are in by far the best form of the play-off teams.


Iwan with a big axe to grind

 

Blimey Dunc, that's a quality thread.
Hope the team do as well

 

Live on Sky

 

Excellent work Dunc

 

Evening Chaps, just up in Worcestershire for a couple of days. Took my dogs out for a walk through some lovely fields. One of them had a dump by same Rape which reminded me to wish you all the best for tomorrow and hopefully if we go up automatically you follow us up via the playoffs.

 

I need to get the kids to bed by 7:30 today so I can watch the match

 

Fat and chance are words that spring to mind Zog.

 

Pretty much a full strength team

 

http://www.fawanews.com/Birmingham City vs Norwich City.html

 

They're going for it then. I was expecting to see some key players rested for the playoffs

 

Any other streams than fawanews. Totally buffering for me.

 

Will try again nearer ko.

 

It usually starts working about 5 minutes before kick off

 

Working ok for me.
As you say, try nearer to ko.
It's been really good for me this season, no real problems.
It's on Sky today, so I will be watching it there.
Best of luck buddy, let's hope it works OK

 

Stream starts

 

No chance to watch I think. Comes on, four seconds later it buffers, every time.

 

I imagine I can watch a few mins before I get it in the neck from my wife