Squeaky Brum Time!

Bazza puts pen to paper, sorry fingers to keyboard to sum up the last few games of the season!

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I was thinking this week like most fans about the huge game coming up against Wolves and how important it is to both sides. We are all starting to get into end of season mode when the tension becomes visceral, the blood pressure goes off the scale and anxieties are heightened by all the ‘what ifs?’ Another thought has crossed my mind however and that is although there may only be 6 games left of the league season that number still represents 13% of the matches scheduled. If that were a slice of cake it would be one of eight slices so an appreciable chunk! What I’m trying to say is that there is a lot of football to be played yet and a lot can happen between now and the end of the season. The Wolves game is of course vital but not the absolute be all and end all.

Blues have Wolves, Plymouth and Preston to come at home and Charlton, Watford and Reading away. The ones that worry me the most are Plymouth and Charlton. These games appear to be the easiest to win potentially but this is Blues we’re talking about and our never ending ability to come unstuck against such unsung opposition is legendary. None of these sides can be taken lightly but Blues must aim for a minimum of 7 points from a possible 9 home and away to secure promotion in my view. More would be a bonus but slip ups like the dropped points against Norwich cannot be tolerated from here on in. The Birmingham squad has been enhanced over the last week by the return of McFadden, O’Connor, Phillips and Bent to full training and Alex McCleish should have a next to full strength squad to choose from for the Wolves game. It is vital that he gets the tactics right and the players start with a high tempo and will to win. Provided they do so I believe they will prevail. One thing is for certain Wolves will not be able to rely on markedly weakened opposition and helpful decisions and passes from the referee to secure victory as they did in the FA Cup game in January.

What about our rivals?

Wolves: Our rivals for the title have on paper the easiest run in. After playing us they entertain Southampton and I will be absolutely stunned as a stunned thing if they come out of that game with anything else but a win. I suspect that at as at the time of writing Southampton may well be relegated already; their parent company having gone into liquidation. This could play two ways; they meekly roll over having nothing left to play for or play with total freedom of those with nothing to lose and surprise us all. A potential banana skin possibly. Their two away games at Derby and Barnsley will be tough as both are still fighting against the drop and in the case of Derby they are beginning to play like a side managed by someone with the name of Clough should. Two other home games against QPR and Doncaster are awkward but ones Wolves would expect to win. The smart money has to be on them to be champions I’m afraid.

Reading: Reading have 5 games in 17 days; three of these are away at Coventry, Blackpool and Derby. All of these are tough prospects. They have the little matter of having to deal with Sheffield United and Barnsley at home. The Blades sliced Cardiff apart in Wales before the International break and we know how hard they are to beat. No forgone conclusions here. They wind up with Norwich away and some team called Small Heath Alliance on the last day of the season!

Burnley: They are seven points adrift of us and would need a miracle end to their season to threaten us I feel. They have Derby, Cardiff and Southampton away and QPR, Sheffield United and Bristol City at home. These fixtures look very tough and they may miss out on the play-offs as a result. If they don’t they will have taken points off the likes of Cardiff and Sheffield United which is all to the good!

Sheffield United: The Blades worry me but there is one serious threat to their chances and it is that they have to play 4 very tough games in 9 days starting with Ipswich at home on Saturday. Jim Magilton’s side are not good but awkward and belligerent they are and as they have a slim chance of making the play-offs this could prove a very awkward hurdle to negotiate. They entertain Barnsley and Nottingham Forest in this period with Reading away wedged in the middle. If that wasn’t enough their last three fixtures include away trips to Burnley and Crystal Palace plus a difficult home game against Swansea.

Cardiff City: If Sheffield United’s fixtures are tightly packed the Welsh side have it worse. They have 4 games in 8 days followed by another 4 in 7! They have Swansea first up; a local derby and we all know what can happen in them! Derby visit next followed by a trip to London to face Crystal Palace before returning to Ninian Park to take on Burnley. They get five days to lick their battle wounds before going on the road to Preston, Charlton and Sheffield Wednesday. They play Ipswich Town at home just before their last away game.

Preston, Swansea and Bristol City sit just outside the play-off zone but could play a huge part not only on those places but on the fate of the top three. I expect them to take points away from teams behind us leaving us to concentrate on Wolves and Reading. Ipswich and QPR are probably out of the picture but for the next couple of games at least they will still believe they have a chance of sneaking sixth place. All the time this is the case they may prove to be nuisance value at least to some of our rivals. Derby could have a big say in which teams go up They have to play four of the top six and thankfully not us!

I have absolutely no idea how things will pan out but what I do know is we have a surprise or two to come yet. Beat Wolves and I think we can start to believe. It would make for an exciting last sprint for the title. Hopefully, we will not need a positive result at Reading to secure promotion but the chances are we probably will – now where did I put my blood pressure pills?

KRO SOTV