This season at St Andrew’s, there haven’t been many days that will stick in your memory for a long time.
Highlights include the August victory over Leeds United, the comeback against Sunderland in front of a sell-out crowd, and Jay Stansfield’s debut winner against Plymouth. To that list, add Birmingham City’s 1-0 victory over Preston North End in Gary Rowett’s first game back as manager.
Not because UB40 gave a live performance afterward, but rather because Blues fans were able to witness a team that truly embodied their brand, it was an occasion to cherish. The Blues were no longer the same team that had lost six of its previous seven games.
They preyed on the throng and were hostile. It was expected that Blues will seize the lead in the 68th minute, buoyed by the chorus of chants which echoed around the stadium from the hour-mark.
We were reminded of St. Andrew’s strength following a week of discussions regarding the possibility of moving home. The Blues need to figure out a method to bring the specialness of St Andrew’s with them whenever they switch stadiums.
At its finest, St Andrew’s is noisy, antagonistic, and terrible for the opposition. During the last 30 minutes, the fans in the Tilton, Kop, Gil Merrick, and Main Stands gained control over Preston.
They contributed to the Blues maintaining a rare clean sheet in order to secure a crucial three points, in addition to sucking Stansfield’s winner into the net. The same fervent applause that met Stansfield’s goal itself welcomed every header, tackle, and clearance that followed. Whistles resounded throughout the city during the five minutes of stoppage time; you could hardly hear yourself think.
Rowett was confident that Blues fans would show up. The players were also ensured to do so by the acting manager.
Bielik was exceptionally intelligent.
When we first discussed Krystian Bielik’s role in this Blues team at the beginning of the season, we used the word fulcrum. When Blues were considering promotion rather than relegation in the first 11 games, he was one of the best players and his spot in midfield under John Eustace was never in doubt.
Bielik was left vulnerable on the pitch and received criticism off it after Wayne Rooney tore up the playbook. When evaluating Bielik, he didn’t hold back after benching the Poland international early in his term.
Although Tony Mowbray was a great center-back, it was almost a given that Rowett would choose the 6′ 3″ enforcer in his midfield. Just as Eustace did, Rowett has reduced the complexity of Bielik’s function.
In addition to putting out flames before they start, Bielik is playing easy passes to his more inventive colleagues and guarding a defence that few players at this level can match. In the middle, Bielik is back to his best.
After taking a five-month hiatus, Rowett is back and will be giving Blues their all over the next five weeks to stay in the Championship. The acting manager is doing all in his power, even hiring fresh coaching personnel.
He said, “Everything is taking up my time at the training ground.” It’s one of those situations where you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day when you’re just there for a brief period of time. To ensure that the players are ready, we must take every necessary step.
“The team needs to find a way to make the necessary adjustments after having to play two different formations in two separate games.
“I believe that a strong defensive structure is the cornerstone of any successful performance, but we have good players, as we demonstrated in the last third and in the middle of the pitch.”
After Mowbray stepped down on February 19, three points from two games is already an improvement over the previous six. By improving the Blues’ defence and removing the requirement that they score two goals to win a game, Rowett has given them optimism.
Blues were in the relegation zone at the interval on Monday due to Huddersfield’s 1-0 victory over Stoke City. After Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth lost, along with Stansfield’s victory, Stoke’s equaliser moved the Blues up to 20th place in the standings, two points above the bottom three.
Although it’s not exactly breathing room, it does imply that even if Blues lose to Leicester City the following Saturday, they won’t be written off. If Blues lose on Saturday, the overall picture won’t really change.
After just one victory, the Blues will probably need two more, if not three, to secure a spot in the championship game the following season. Now that they are fighting, at least.
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