This article will also be appearing in the Brighton issue of ‘Made in Brum’ magazine, priced at £1.50 available from various sellers outside St. Andrews.
KEEP BRIGHT ON
Liam Ridgewell is wanted by Newcastle, apparently. He was also voted in the Championship ‘Team of the Week’ with brace-scoring Chris Burke. In my humble opinion only one of those two belonged in the team of the week, and I’d be more upset if he was the one wanted by Newcastle. Ridgewell may well count himself unfortunate to be stuck with us, if he truly wanted away, having seen Craig (I’ll stay at Blues til I die) Gardner head for pastures new. Perhaps Ridgewell’s contract was worth less than Gardner, or perhaps it’s that Hughton rated Ridgewell so highly, he wouldn’t ‘let’ him go. Seemingly with the likes of Parnaby, it seems as though Hughton ‘letting’ anything happen may be stretching the truth. The sad fact is though, in my view, that Ridgewell hasn’t looked Premier League quality at all this season. A little off the pace, less endeavour driving forward, and a lot more wayward passes than I’ve ever seen from him.
I can only hope that if he is interested in leaving in January, he puts himself squarely in the shop window with some towering performances, otherwise why would a Premier League side waste their cash on him?
Mind you, for a while, I had wondered would Steve Bruce rue the day he tried to recreate his Blues days by bringing Larsson and Gardner to Sunderland, yet they both scored last weekend, and – seemingly – Larsson in particular has had an excellent season thus far.
Chris Wood’s tenure at Blues was looking a little shaky in the light of Shane Long’s injury in the Baggies squad. Roy Hodgson has nipped that speculation squarely in the bud, however. He has insisted that he remains in West Brom’s plans, but that he has no impulse to recall him to the Hawthorns. This is an excellent decision, as it is by no means guaranteed he will replicate his form in the Premier League and he can remain at St Andrews where his football education (surely that’s why he was sent to us!) can continue. If West Brom stay up this season, he can probably kick on with the Baggies in the Premier League. If they go down, you could imagine he’ll be looking for Premier League football, if that’s with us, having been promoted, all the better.
It’s so tricky focussing on the League, when we all have Brugges at the back of our mind on Thursday. What is it with teams beginning with B this season, by the way? Brugges, Braga, Bristol City, Barnsley, Brighton, Blackpool. I wonder if we’ll get Blackburn in the FA Cup? I hope so, fancy knocking them out!
Do you think people from Hove spend their lives pointing out “It isn’t just Brighton’s team, you know!” It must irritate somewhat, when their team is only referred to by the name ‘Brighton’. Then again they’re also called the Seagulls, and their stadium was in Falmer, now it’s in America? The Express stadium or sommat? I suppose it’s like the small folk at Aston when they have to point out to Europeans that their team is from Birmingham too. Mind you, they haven’t played in Europe for a while have they? Heh heh.
Interestingly, as Southampton have stamped their authority all over the Championship this season, Brighton have not won in eight matches, in all competitions, despite the plaudits being given to Gus Poyet’s management and their excellent League One run last season. They have won three times away this season, notably against Cardiff and Portsmouth, but most recently (nine matches ago!) an early September away win against Bristol City (1-0).
Their League One season was helped no end by eight straight wins in March, but they failed to win in their last four games, including a 2-1 reverse at home to Southampton. We’re two points behind them, though this could also be one behind or one ahead of them, depending on how Leeds treat us tonight, but regardless, we’ll have two games in hand on them too by Saturday. They’re sitting prettyish in 12th, nine points clear of Watford, who they’re due to face straight after us.
I predict we’ll have beaten Leeds narrowly, (edit, Russ wrote this before Wednesday’s game! Fair play! Kev), and – amazingly – still have energy to beat Brighton by at least two goals, though I’m mightily aware we’ll have to string together our longest win sequence for over a decade to achieve this!!
Chris Wood and Chris Burke seem to have found their shooting boots this season, supplied more than capably by Marlon King and Jean Beausejour on the wings. It’s certain Hughton now knows his best eleven, it’s just whether the rotation can see the best out of them all. Despite their public claim that winning games makes the fixture congestion less of a problem, you can see the havoc a single game can create in the injury picked up by Pablo Ibanez. Hopefully, he’ll be back against Brighton, though if we’ve kept a clean sheet against Leeds, you can’t quite imagine us changing a winning formula.
Afore-mentioned Poyet will undoubtedly be feeling the pressure from his own fans, much like Mick McCarthy was at Wolves, after such a winless streak. Mind you, Wolves was six losses in succession, Brighton (who have only won twice at home this season!) have only had runs of two losses (so far) whilst a certain other Blue and White team not far from Small Heath had a run of three successive losses (admittedly including Southampton (!), Braga and Manchester (beat Man U at Old Trafford) City.
Chris Hughton should undoubtedly be the manager most able to sleep easily in this fixture, but if there’s one thing Blues fans can teach Blues players it’s ‘never be complacent about any team on a losing streak, any team without a manager, any team from Kidderminster, or any team featuring a former Blues player’. Hopefully Marcos Painter doesn’t feature in their defence, then.
Prediction: Blues 3 Brighton 0
Keep Right On
Russell Dempsey
I think the fact that Ridgewell stayed had more to do with the relegation clause in his contract, after all he had a Gollivan contract and therefore is on championship wages.
As for complacency, spot on, although with Hoots at the helm I am confident he can keep the Viler Gypsy curse under control!!