Sorry it’s a bit late posting.
Happy New Year to bluenoses everywhere. I hope that everybody has had a good Christmas and peaceful 2022 so far. It hasn’t seemed like a normal festive period somehow from the point of view of the beautiful game with all the postponements secondary to Covid. Fingers crossed, that this dystopian world we live in will start to sort itself out finally after just shy of two years. The weather is unseasonably mild and this is contributing to the strange feel to this turn of the year. We haven’t played of course since the sorry show at Blackburn. I so nearly went but declined in the end as it is a long way and a huge investment in time at this time of the year that I simply couldn’t afford and head got the better of heart which was just as well.
The last time I ventured into the darkest north was an away trip to Barnsley when we lost to a poor Tykes outfit 1-0 with their only attempt on goal. Awful game, awful ground, awful experience all round. My misery was complete when on the way back I listened as Sunderland came back in the final 12 minutes at Southampton to triumph 2-1 and extinguish any chance of us winning the title. I honestly thought we’d blown promotion altogether and relied on beating Reading away on the last day of the season; remember that? What we would give to be challenging at that end of the table eh? It isn’t going to happen for a long time I suspect.
We have more suffering ahead of us. Onto the present and QPR awaited us at St Andrew’s. I didn’t go to the fixture at Loftus Road as I refuse to having not got in the last time I was there until nearly half time, kettled by the Met Police, aided and abetted by QPR who had the temerity to charge £35 for a ticket with restricted view. I love my football but not that much. The hoops are not my favourite opponents therefore and I was praying that we didn’t lose to them but it was difficult to be optimistic with the threadbare squad we have against a side flying high in the division.
I was surprised and delighted that the trains seemed to be running on time and I caught the early one because of the early kick off time and the need to have Covid passports and the like ready. It was a beautiful morning as the bright sunshine bathed the countryside as we passed Oxford. The winter corn was sprouting green and lush with promises of a good harvest in the season to come. The journey passed off well and I arrived at Coventry at 11.25 where Chris picked me up. We briefly went back to Baginton for a quick pint and to pick up little Jack and young Seb before setting off for St Andrew’s We got there in plenty of time for the new Covid rituals and a pie and a(nother) pint.
The line up demonstrated the effect that the virus and injuries have had upon us. Sarkic was between the sticks and a back three of Friend, Pedersen and Sanderson was supplemented by the returning Maxime Colin and Juan Castillo. Jordan James, Ivan Sunjic and Gary Gardner made up central midfield with Troy Deeney and Young George Hall up front. Scott Hogan, Ryan Woods and Chuks Aneke warmed the bench.
Blues started brightly and could have been ahead from the first chance of the game but Jordan James snatched at the shot when well placed from Deeny’s headed knock down and fired over. QPR had hardly registered any meaningful attack in the first few minutes but in their first foray forward they broke quickly down the left flank and Blues backed off too far. With no pressure on the ball and our defenders rushing back to defend the box a deflection from the cross fell straight into the path of Albert Adomah who buried the ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards. A poor and wholly avoidable lead gifted to the opposition. QPR hadn’t been in the game but with 14 minutes gone they lead. The swagger and poise a goal against the run of play gives teams was now evident and Andre Gray and Jimmy Dunne for Rangers had chances to increase the advantage but for some desperate defending and good goalkeeping by Sarkic kept things manageable. Blues recovered their composure and should have restored parity in 30 minutes when Gary Gardner with a not dissimilar chance to that of Adomah’s hooked wide when by rights the shot should have been at least on target. Apart from a weak header that was wide by George Hall, QPR defended resolutely and went to the break 1-0 up.
Ryan Woods came on for Castillo who had had a very poor first half. There was an immediate improvement in the performance from Blues as a result and they pinned the visitors back into their own half for long periods. QPR are a tough, resolute, well-organised team who prevent crosses into the box, put the blocks in when it matters and press with energy to limit chances. Blues were finding it frustratingly difficult to break down their stubborn defence. Chuks Aneke was introduced for the ineffective Gary Gardner with three quarters of the game done and Blues looked to be really going for the equaliser.
Unfortunately, all the good work and pressure was undone when Lee Wallace fed Chris Willock down the left flank. A missed tackle resulted in the wide man burrowing into the box and slotting a bullet fast drive across Sarkic into the far post from a seemingly impossible angle. It was a cracking strike and a lovely goal and sometimes you just have to say, take a bow son! The fact QPR didn’t deserve a 2-0 lead is immaterial. They produced three clear cut chances in to game and took two of them. Blues on the other hand had squandered theirs. Blues did not give up and continued to press forward and the breakthrough their endeavours deserved was finally rewarded when from a Maxime Colin cross, Chuks Aneke controlled and rifled a fierce shot into the roof of the net giving Dieng no chance. Sadly that is as good as it got for Blues as despite going direct and pinning QPR back another chance failed to materialise. The time wasting began and the inevitable niggle crept in. Towards the end, there was a heavy tackle by Sunjic that rightly received a yellow card. Sam Field decided to take the law into his own hands and with a full-blooded two-handed push sent the Blues player to the ground. He was lucky to get a yellow card for that. It is violent conduct and a clear red. A poor decision from the referee in my view. Worse was to follow when Matija Sarkic had to leave the field with what appeared to be a dislocated shoulder sustained throwing the ball to a team mate. George Friend had to don the gloves and orange jersey since the last of Blues’ three substitutions had been used to bring on Scott Hogan for the impressive George Hall minutes before. The game was up; QPR held on for a 2-1 win.
Things are looking bleak for Blues at the minute. We need new faces desperately. As for QPR, they are proficient and doing well at the moment. Do I see them as promotion material? Nah! Not for me; there are better teams in the division than these.
The Good: Cracking strikes by Aneke for Blues and Willock for QPR.
The Bad: The defending for QPR’s first goal. We simply have to stop conceding goals like this. The injury to Sarkic; looks a bad one.
The Ugly: The melee involving Sunjic and Field; completely uncalled for. Our prospects now that we have lost McGree to the MLS, Sanderson back to Wolves and Sarkic to injury. We are in deep doodoo without serious reinforcement this month!
Birmingham City: Matija Sarkic 7, George Friend 7, Maxime Colin 7, Krystian Pederson 7, Dion Sanderson 7, Ivan Sunjic 7, Juan Castillo 3 (Ryan Woods HT, 7) Jordan James 6, Gary Gardner 4 (Chuks Aneke67, 7) George Hall 7 (Scott Hogan 85, N/A) Troy Deeney 6.
Subs not used: Neil Etheridge, Jobe Bellingham, Remi Walker, Tate Campbell.
Goals: Aneke 75.
Yellow cards: Sunjic 88.
Queens Park Rangers: Seny Dieng 7, Rob Dickie 7, Jimmy Dunne 7, Yoann Barbet 7, Albert Adomah 7, Andre Gray 6 (Stefan Johansen 63, 6) Sam Field 6, Luke Amos 6, Lee Wallace 7, Chris Willock 7, Lyndon Dykes 6 (Charlie Austin 85, N/A)
Goals: Adomah 14, Willock 71.
Subs not used: Osman Kakay, Dominic Ball, Jordan Archer George Thomas.
Yellow cards: Dickie 59, Amos 74, Field 88.
Referee: Matthew Donohue: 5; I am not going to blame the officials for Blues shortcomings but there are a couple of things that I do have issues with. The time wasting in the second half especially when Blues scored their goal to change the momentum was not stamped upon and nowhere near enough time was allowed to compensate. The assault by Field on Sunjic, whatever the provocation should have been a red card for the QPR man rather than a yellow; if that is not violent conduct, I don’t know what is. It is questionable whether Blues should have had a penalty when Chuks Aneke went down when shaping to shoot. I confess, I would have to see the footage to be certain.
Attendance: 18,279.
As a final postscript, I would like to pay my respects to the 123 Blues fans who passed away this last year and were remembered on the roll of honour on the main scoreboard at half time to the original version of Keep Right On to the End of the Road by Sir Harry Lauder remembering in particular, Will and Chris’ uncle, Frank Goodwin. RIP old friend.
Click on the link for video of the memorial.
Bazza KRO
RIP Frank Goodwin. I wonder if Castillo will have one more chance to prove himself in the FA Cup. That was an attrocious showing. Happy New Year Bazza and all Blues fans.