Match Report: Birmingham City 0-0 Bristol City
Report, tactical breakdown and conclusions as fans voice their feelings following a drab affair at St.Andrews.
Wayne Rooney was booed at the final whistle following Birmingham City’s goalless draw with Bristol City.
The clean sheet was most welcome for a side that had conceded nine goals in its previous three matches but the game was devoid of goalmouth action leaving fans frustrated.
The big news ahead of kick off was Rooney giving 17-year-old Romelle Donovan his first ever league start while Cody Drameh returned too. Marc Roberts missed out while Koji Miyoshi dropped to the bench. Scott Hogan was again missing from the matchday squad.
Blues had the first chance when Dion Sanderson headed over a corner but it was the visitors that ought to have taken the lead when Anis Mehmeti inexplicably headed wide from six yards out.
Bristol City created the next big opportunity, again from the right hand side, but Nakhi Wells couldn’t turn home Mark Syies’ left-footed cross. The first and only shot on target of the game came via the boot of Emmanuel Longelo but was comfortable for Max O’Leary.
The second half was a non-event in which Blues took just three touches inside the Bristol City box.
The first shot of note came on 67 minutes when Juninho Bacuna fired wide from distance. A whole ten minutes later, Keshi Anderson broke free and his cross was cleared.
Bristol City probably had the best opportunity of the half when Jason Knight’s teasing cross couldn’t be turned home by Andreas Weimann. Ivan Sunjic was inches wide in injury time with a 25 yard strike.
And that was that. A small report for a game that offered very little at either end.
Lineups
Blues
Ruddy; Drameh Aiwu Sanderson Longelo; Donovan (Burke 63) James Bacuna Sunjic Dembele (Anderson 63); Stansfield (Roberts 63). Subs: Etheridge; Oakley Long Gardner Miyoshi Jutkiewicz.
Bristol City
O’Leary; Tanner Vyner Dickie Pring; TGH Williams (James 75); Sykes (Bell 75) Knight Mehmeti (Weimann 57); Wells (Conway 46). Subs: Balic; Knight-Lebel Cornick Yeboah Nelson.
Tactics
Blues started the game trying to play from a slightly different standpoint, moving back to more of a 3-4-3 style with Drameh showing inside and Longelo and Donovan providing the width, giving Dembele and Bacuna license to drift in attack.
This didn’t last all too long as Bristol City made the running and Blues quickly fell into the same old traps in possession. Drameh and Longelo were receiving possession on or very close to the touchline, giving them little room to escape and being easy to press. A lot of their passes were wasteful. It was also telling how often we ended up trying to play to Donovan with his back to goal, rather than on the half turn, making it difficult for him to get involved. Basic, technical issues in possession.
Bristol City were pretty standard out of possession. Jason Knight pushed up alongside Nakhi Wells to close Aiwu and Sanderson with Mehmeti and Sykes responsible for their wide men. Pring could then take on Donovan with Dickie watching Stansfield or Bacuna, whoever dropped off. There was clear communication and reading from Bristol City who would switch up when necessary.
One other attacking note is that Siriki Dembele was clearly targeted as a danger and whenever he received the ball, George Tanner would do his best to slow him down before Joe Williams came across to support. Blues’ lack of options off the ball a problem.
Bristol City were 4-2-3-1-cum-3-2-4-1 with the ball. Tanner and Dickie were generally wider, though TGH would occasionally come across to the left side with Dickie central, Pring would move high and wide down the left and Mehmeti would step inside.
Bristol City had two general plans of attack. One would be to find Jason Knight in space just off the front, where he could turn and find Sykes up against Longelo. Or Mehmeti would drag Drameh inside and they would look to exploit Pring running off Donovan, with Aiwu tasked on the cover.
Blues were fine here defensively. Stansfield and Bacuna were like a front two and stepped onto the centre-backs with Dickie tracked and followed as he tried to step forward. James and Sunjic would push onto Williams and TGH then it would be winger vs full back. If Bristol City did progress, the plan was to drop in and leave only the centre backs free.
Blues generally went long from goal kicks, which was a change up from recent matches. First half we would search for Bacuna towards the left hand side with Dembele and Stansfield nearby.
Blues made a half time switch with Bacuna dropping off to make it a 4-1-4-1, James at the base. This ensured Knight wasn’t as free out of possession.
Players
Drameh returned and was solid as usual, winning his individual battles. Aiwu was much improved back in the centre of the defence and Sanderson defended the box well. James was steady in front.
Donovan was fun on full debut. Everything he did was in the spirit of trying to take the team forward and he didn’t shirk his off-ball duties. Understandably lacking in physicality which let him down in individual duels, but that will come. The raw ingredients are there.
Joe Williams was probably the best player on the pitch. Jason Knight was clever and rarely gave the ball away. Cameron Pring got forward well. Rob Dickie looked comfortable with the ball.
Conclusions
It’s indicative of where we’re at that I was comfortable with that display.
We’ve been so open defensively and culpable to any sort of opposition attack that watching us carry out the bare minimum – being organised, compact, defending as a unit and making life difficult for our opponents – felt like a small victory.
That isn’t to say it was good. And it isn’t to say it’s what we should be seeing going forward.
There’s two ways of looking at it. The positive outlook that Rooney provided, which was about the clean sheet and not conceding poor goals. Or the outlook most fans have which is that it was a cowardly display in a home match we should be looking to win.
A number of fans stayed away last night and effectively voted with their own money and feet. Some of those in attendance booed Wayne Rooney at full-time. There were reports of Ashley Cole and John O’Shea getting into it with fans.
Blues fans have had a habit of being very generous towards managers in the past, but so much about this appointment has felt different.
Sacking Eustace was one thing. Many didn’t like it and scars from the decision to replace Gary Rowett with Gianfranco Zola flared up. Very few fans had belief in Wayne Rooney being a better fit for the club short and long term prior to his appointment.
But it’s the type of decision you understand an owner may make to improve things. Like Nigel Adkins being replaced by Mauricio Pochettino, to provide a famous example. Ironically, like Bristol City replacing Nigel Pearson with Liam Manning.
And our new owners have gotten everything else right, so we backed them. We rallied behind Rooney after videos emerged of verbal abuse from the stands just two games into his tenure following two very poor displays. Fans at the Open House voiced positive views following his presentation and having met him.
We have tried. But fans will eventually make their own minds up on what they are seeing rather than what everybody wants them to see. The wool can only be pulled over eyes for so long.
The crux of the matter is that Wayne Rooney and his team were supposed to be better. At worst, more entertaining. They’re not.
The biggest irony of all this is a ploy to create a “no fear” football culture has left fans fearful going into every game (and it’s Leeds away next), fearful of relegation and fearful of what decision may be taken when the club do part with Rooney.
This isn’t how the story was supposed to unfold.
Typical Blues.