Holmes_and_Watson

I might have heard "Tweenmas" earlier, as I'd just have thought of twixes had I heard the one you heard. "Phablet" is also on the annoying list.

Did he flap at catching the award, and have to pick it up from behind him?

Selling Scienza and Fellows at the end of the season. That shows the player trading model works. Just all that other stuff getting in the way.

We will miss you, when the next team sheet goes up. 🙂

Against our season goals, a poor display. Against the reality of us being a SR mid table Championship side, it's an away point. Birmingham dropped back just enough for the game to shift. With Fellows off they stopped shackling that side. That allowed Jelert some space. Scienza too, got more space ( although him starting with Fellows would have tested Birmingham). Nice poacher's goal for Archer. I think we tried once more to get something into him. But we don't create a lot for our finishers. Matsuki looked feisty when he came on. Too feisty to give away that last minute free kick. But he, Jelert and Scienza were notable for wanting the ball to do something with it rather than passively receive it to recycle it. Again, their mobility had something to do with the home side dropping back. But good to see their keeness. Bragg had some early positivity too, although he didn't take a couple of chances to move it forward himself. Baz seemed to shrink so he couldn't get to that looping header. But got a touch to put one onto the post later on. Too much like a poor version of RussBall at times. We're far better at a higher tempo, pushing that quick passing, even if that creates the occasional risk.

Awe.. their manager gets a red. Lots of players after the ref got a little in the way. Which he did on one of our plays in the first half.

Take it back. Knew the subs would work!

I hope that with our like for like subs, we'll be able to hold onto our 1-0 defeat.

Tombola of subs... AA off for Archer. Jander off for Bragg. System maintained.

They aren't that much bigger, but win every challenge. We are lightweight.

Jelert on for Fellows..must...maintain...failing...formation...

Leo coming on when they are in the lead and will be happy to be compact, if they need to be.

Sod

He certainly looks glum enough to have been watching us. Red and white too.

As @obelisk said, one team playing with a desire to get forward at every opportunity. We prefer to draw them in to create spaces to pass through. As Birmingham get forward, we've been unable to use the space they leave. When we try to draw them in, we regularly fail to get it past them to our forwards. We end up playing too deep, too slowly and with a lack of conviction. Fellows is being well shackled, and they know we have no Leo. That's about it for us. Robinson has had a couple of bright runs. The one he set up that ended up as an Azaz shot. A second he took the shot himself. Fine, but AA was standing centrally in space. I'd have fancied him to score it. We could have done worse than get it to Robinson as we do with Leo. Much rawer, but would have pushed them back, and given Azaz and AA more options. Possibly even free up Fellows a bit. Hopefully, this will be a second half where we're stronger for a change. We'll need to be.

And off the bar.

Nonsense trying to clear that. They still have a free kick...

Robinson does well when given a chance. Gave AA a chance. A rare bit of attacking intent.

Downes moving up making a difference. Closed down their defender, picking up the ball in midfield and giving us another option (which we really need)

THB from a corner or a bizzare Birmingham og.

Ouch. Manning throw in bounces over AA. Probably our best attack in a while too.🙂

If we had a statue, it would be playing in goal. 🙂

We're not able to pass it to Leo, and hope he does something, and not giving Robinson that role. Instead of imposing ourselves, we're drawing them out to try and pass through them. With all the usual joy that brings as they can press and get some momentum.

As Stanfield puts it wide and Kyogo puts it over, I notice that Tonda's SR regulation facial hair is coming along.

First pass out from the back, and we don't beat a one man press disrupting it. Azaz with an effort, but others looked a bit reluctant to have a go.