Alex please stop this pretence that Blues are in some way unfortunate or settling down or that the players you are sending out are ever likely to score a goal. Before you go on about Everton playing the same formation and you ‘going like for like’, you should admit that they were bottom of the League and after 45 minutes the only question Blues fans were asking...

Foster (7) Couple of saves competent display. Carr (7) Steady 90 minutes. Johnson (5)  Cost us the game. Dann (8) * Never gave Cahill a sniff for 92 minutes Ridgewell (7) Great goal line clearance. Larsson (5) Obvious he wants to leave. Fahey (5) Little input. Ferguson (6) Who can he pass to?. Hleb (6) Couple of shows of genius.   Bowyer (6) No major cock ups this...

Hart   (9) *  Three great saves and set up the winner Carr   (8)   Good to have the old man back Johnson   (7)  Caught out with their second goal. Dann   (8)   Good solid game Ridgewell   (7)   Fought back after dodgy start. Gardener   (7)   Great goal with his left foot Bowyer  (5)  Poor throughout but still grafted. Ferguson  (8)   Held the...

In spite of Blues’ best performance for weeks at Portsmouth Alex McLeish decided to tinker with the team. Michel who was outstanding at Fratton was out and Bowyer was restored to the line up. Steve Carr replaced the injured Parnaby and Kevin Phillips was on the bench. Blues responded to this with 25 minutes of ineptitude that was an embarrassment to the 21,000 odd Blues...

Alex McLeish praised Graig Gardner who scored his first goal for Birmingham City in the 2-2 draw with Everton. The boyhood Blue and former Villa midfielder was a doubt in the run-up to the fixture with a virus and rewarded the fans with a well-taken goal. McLeish said: “Craig was ill yesterday. He was a doubt this morning. There has been a virus going about and...

Craig Gardner starts for Birmingham City in their Premier League clash against Everton Birmingham: Hart, Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Gardner, Ferguson, Bowyer, Fahey, Jerome, Benitez Subs: Taylor, Larsson, Phillips, McFadden, Michel, Queudrue, Tainio Everton: Howard, Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Anichebe, Heitinga, Arteta, Pienaar, Cahill, Yakubu Subs: Nash,...

BBC footbal pundit Mark Lawrenson has predicted that Birmingham City will draw against Everton. He told BBC Sport Online: “Both teams are on good runs at the moment. They are next to each other in the league, with Birmingham eighth and Everton ninth, which adds extra importance to the game. I think this will be tight. Birmingham’s 2-1 win at Portsmouth on...

This match has that ‘big’ feel about it, which I’m sure the Everton fans, players and management are also aware. Everton are on a magnificent run and only have the cup defeat by Blues since the New Year blemishing a record which has seen their manager receiving the Manager of the month for February. David Moyes has grown on me over the years although that penalty...

Hart   (8)  Match winning save Carr   (7)   Slip caused the goal but excellent otherwise. Johnson. R (7)  Excellent again Dann   (7)   Solid but not spectacular Ridgewell   (7)   Passing poor Larsson   (7)  Missed a good chance Bowyer   (7)   Worked hard Ferguson  (9)*   Passing master class and the goal of the season McFadden   (7)   Brought...

Download the original attachment Fans Report Everton v Blues Blues longest standing ‘bogey’ was finally laid as they deservedly dumped Merseyside’s Everton out of the FA Cup. It was also Blues first ever away win against the Toffees in the cup and the first victory there since 1957.The tie of the round was a match that our TV companies had decided we weren’t going...