Watto’s Preview: Birmingham City vs Tottenham Hotspur

Well when you sign ex Villa players you lose. Coincidence?  I think not. In spite of being a mad Bluenose Craig allowed himself to be contaminated and will have to work hard to win Blues fans over and shake off his dubious past.

Craig Gardner is a good player and my remarks are a little tongue in cheek. What Craig’s transfer to Blues has done is to show how short-sighted Blues were in not financing the academy properly in the past . When Craig signed for Villa he would have received a generous signing on fee. The total signing on fees for Youth players at Villa then would have been greater than the total amount put into Blues Academy. The reason why the transfer did not take place back in the summer was probably because Sullivan would not pay £3.5 million for a player he could have signed for about half a week’s wages. Mr Sullivan did not like to be made to look stupid and this would have really embarrassed him.

Craig will probably start on the bench against Spurs but don’t expect him to be there long. Blues lacked that dynamism in their defeat by Chelsea. Maybe the older players could do with a rest. Midfield wise only Barry Ferguson was anything close to his best and Michel too looked more accomplished than the other midfielders.

Spurs have a poor record at St Andrews and have only won once here in 24 years and their away record this season is poor. Their last visit to St Andrew’s was a week after they had won the Carling Cup and played like they were still hung-over. Michel Forssell helped himself to a hat-trick to complete a double over the Londoners.

The Blues need desperately to win this game as they need to show that the 15 match run was no fluke. The real critics are suggesting that we could well go as many games without winning. Blues fans can trust Alex Mcleish will not let that happen.

Spurs under Harry Redknapp have avoided relegation and become one of those clubs who might break into the top four. The vacancy in the top four is due to the demise of Liverpool under the ‘expert’ guidance of Rafa Benitez. Man City, Spurs, and the Vile are in line to take that place. If Blues can win this game they too can take a seat in that waiting room.  Blues are levitating between this  group of clubs and the group below who are only avoiding relegation. Everton are probably considered slightly below their rightful position at the moment but there is no reason why Blues should not consolidate themselves in this group.

It is difficult not to get a little impatient as this time as Blues fans have been given a glimpse of what might be and we older fans are thinking we might be seeing signs of what should be. Moses wandered around the wilderness for 40 years and did not live to see the Promised Land. We Blues fans have been waiting almost 100 years longer than that!

Today we say goodbye to ‘Tiny’ Taylor as he moves on to Watford. After that incident with Eduardo and the appalling criticism that eliminated from Wenger Martin was never the same player. Edwardo is fit and still playing at highest level while Tiny is condemned to a life at the rundown Vicarage Road plying his trade on a Rugby pitch. Blues fans will say thanks and good luck to the gentle giant. I’m sure that Mr Wenger will go out of his way to echo those sentiments.

By Alan Watton

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