Birmingham City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Prediction Panel 2009/10

With Spurs, Villa, Man City and Everton all slipping up Birmingham have a chance to close in on a top six finish against local rivals Wolves. For Wolves the Saturday games went badly, Hull and Burnley winning to move out of the bottom three and dump Wolves in it. Birmingham neither score nor conce...

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Birmingham City: Boyd or Pavlyuchenko? You decide!

Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish has made no secret of his desire to bolster his striking options this month due to injuries to Cameron Jerome and Kevin Phillips and the two main names in the frame this transfer window have been Kris Boyd of Glasgow Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur’s Roman Pavlyuchenk...

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Birmingham City vs Tottenham Hotspur: Has the Blues bubble burst?

Eighth placed Birmingham take on fourth placed Tottenham in what promises to be a very tight match. The first defeat since October for Birmingham was a fairly comprehensive beating at Stamford Bridge; and there must be a suspicion that after such a long unbeaten run there could be a bad patch at so...

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Chelsea vs Birmingham City: Are Blues unbeatable?

Third placed Chelsea face an obdurate eighth placed Birmingham at Stamford Bridge. I reckon this is the first time that Chelsea have been as low as third since the league table settled down after three or four games, so the early return of Drogba and Kalou could offer the spark that Chelsea need to...

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Portsmouth v Birmingham City: Blues look to avoid slip up at crisis club

Birmingham City extended their amazing unbeaten record in the top flight to 12 last weekend by holding the champions Manchester United at St Andrews. This afternoon they travel to crisis-hit Portsmouth. Surely their remarkable run won’t come to a crashing end at Fratton Park? On current form it’s ...

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Alex McLeish Faces Tricky Decisions

At the highest level success brings both rewards and attendant problems. By guiding Birmingham City to their best-ever run in the top flight, Alex McLeish has given loyal Blues fans the best of Christmas/New Year presents- but hes raised expectation too. Since the takeover by Carson Yeung there has...

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Birmingham City vs Manchester United: Tight game in prospect

Eighth placed Birmingham City face second placed Manchester United in one of only two fixtures to survive today (so far). Birmingham City probably face Man United at a good time; United seem to be having a bit of a mid-season blip, their defence is below strength and the team is simply not creatin...

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Birmingham City transfer diary 21 December 2009 - 2 January 2010

Carson Yeung promised a transfer pot of £40m when he took over in the autumn - but that may have been the euphoria talking; Birmingham look good value to finish in the top half as things stand. If Yeung really wants to fund a push then with fourth place up for grabs would probably require a goalsco...

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Birmingham's Alex McLeish looks nailed on as manager of the month

Birmingham City's remarkable run of form is now the best at the club for over 100 years and seems sure to give Alex McLeish the manager of the month award. Arsene Wenger is the main competitor but although Arsenal have a similar league record in December (4 wins and a draw) they did lose twice in c...

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Stoke City v Birmingham City: Goals may be at a premium at the Britannia

Stoke City’s recent record against Birmingham City is about as embarrassing as my wife’s driving. The Potters have failed to score in their past six clashes with the Blues and includes a car crash of a result at the old Victoria Ground in 1998 when the Blues ran out 7-0 winners. Can the Staffordshir...

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Birmingham City v Chelsea: Will it be a Blue Christmas for Chelsea?

After beating Arsenal at the tail end of last month everyone and his dog thought Chelsea would go on to run away with the title. However, four games on, Ancelotti’s men have picked up just five points and seen their lead at the top cut to just four points. Today they travel to St Andrews to take on ...

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Everton v Birmingham City: Big Eck hopes to make it another Blue day for the Moyes

Birmingham City could enter Christmas in sixth spot with victory today over Everton but history is not on their side. The Blues have failed to beat the Toffees in the Premier League in six attempts and haven’t won at Goodison Park since 1957. However, this is a Blues’ side in a purple patch while Ev...

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Birmingham City v Blackburn Rovers: Big Eck eyes top flight record for Blues

There are some things I never thought I would hear in my lifetime. “You’re hired” was one of them, “Yes I’ll sleep with you” was another, but the most surprising thing I’ve heard so far has to be “Birmingham City are the Premier League’s form side!” Birmingham City, tipped by many to be relegated ...

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Wigan Athletic vs Birmingham City: The portents suggest that Wigan will lose this one

Wigan are 14th having put a five point gap back to the relegation zone by beating Sunderland last time out, Birmingham have risen to 11th on the back of some fine form. As Wigan's palindromic recent form suggests this is not a team that likes winning, losing or drawing consecutive games. This seas...

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Transfer Speculation: Micah Richards (Manchester City) to Manchester United

With Christmas barely three months away we can all indulge ourselves in some fanciful speculation ahead of the main banquet in January. According to the Mirror Manchester United are set to make a surprise move for Manchester City defender Micah Richards, if the Eastlands outfit decide to offload th...

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Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Birmingham City: First goal could decide this

Three big derby games on Sunday, starting in the west Midlands where Black Country Wolves take on Birmingham. Wolves currently lie second bottom, four points from safety and as a result can't escape from the bottom three even with a win. But on current form that seems unlikely as the last eight ga...

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Birmingham look to leverage transfer speculation against leaky Fulham

Birmingham City and Fulham are in that hinterland between mid-table and the relegations; a worrying position - but not yet threatening. Birmingham will be putting out transfer feelers right now looking to improve the squad in key areas. Blues have 10 goals from 12 games and the focus will surely b...

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David Ngog's Monday Night Show

Monday night was all about Liverpool's young French striker David Ngog; firstly he opens the scoring and settles early Anfield nerves with a lovely volley into the roof of the net from the edge of the six yard box. After this Ngog showed why he is an understudy that will force himself onto the pi...

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Liverpool must beware Birmingham late show

Liverpool face an obdurate Birmingham with question marks remaining over star players. With Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Tottenham winning at the weekend Liverpool need to win if they are to keep pace with the top four. The international break can seem awfully long if you are itching to set r...

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Dare Rafa Benitez play Torres and Gerrard tonight?

International breaks are tricky things. Four weeks ago Liverpool lost Ferndando Torres and Steven Gerrard to short-term injuries - but both need either rest or surgery over the next few weeks to rectify the situation. And although Torres only initially missed two matches he was clearly playing wit...

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Birmingham City vs Manchester City: Looking to take advantage of rivals failings

Birmingham City remain 15th after the 9 Saturday games fail to see the teams immediately below them get a win and face Manchester City who will also be heartened at remaining sixth and will now look to take adavntage of slips by Liverpool, Spurs, Sunderland and Villa. Birmingham's main difficulty t...

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Birmingham City v Sunderland: Will Bruce leave St Andrews a happy man?

Whisper it quietly but I think something very special is happening at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats have come out of games against Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool unscathed and in all fairness should have gained maximum points, but the media has failed to give Steve Bruc...

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Birmingham City: How should McLeish spend his transfer budget?

Birmingham City’s new owner Carson Yeung has given manager Alex McLeish a massive boost ahead of the January transfer window by stating that up to £40 million will be made available to him to bolster the Blues squad – but just how should he spend that cash? Big Eck has freely admitted that he has n...

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Mission improbable for Birmingham at Arsenal

Arsenal look capable of running up big scores against any unwary opponents and will Birmingham have taken its collective eye off the ball with all this talk of transfer riches? With Chelsea and Liverpool facing tricky away games at Villa and Sunderland this could be an opportunity for Arsenal to ma...

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The Old Firm: Premier League? You’re having a laugh!

Martin Luther King famously had a dream of racial equality and an end to discrimination. I too have a dream but sadly it isn’t as prophetic as that. I just want to live to see Aberdeen crowned as SPL champions. Now that may sound ridiculous to many of you given the Dons’ recent lack of silverware bu...

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Burnley v Birmingham City: Will Coyle or McLeish win the battle of the Scots?

Hoots Mon! Turf Moor will be transformed into little Scotland on Saturday when Owen Coyle welcomes his fellow countryman Alex McLeish to Lancashire. But it won’t just be in the dugout where the Scots will be in charge. The Scottish feel extends to the pitch as there could be no fewer than nine Scott...

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Birmingham City v Bolton Wanderers: Can Megson beat the Blues?

Under-fire Gary Megson heads to St Andrews on Saturday looking to record the club’s third away win of the season in all competitions. Unfortunately for him the chances of achieving that appear to be as slim asKeira Knightleys waist.Bolton haverecorded just two wins in the blue half of England’s seco...

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Bruce, Hodgson or Redknapp: Who is the best English manager in the Premier League?

There are just eight English-born managers in the Premier League and, at this moment in time (September 23, 2009), half of them fill the bottom four places in the table. But is that due to their lack of chances at managing a top club or are they lacking that something extra to be a success at the hi...

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Manchester derby: Was this the greatest Premier League game ever?

Sir Alex Ferguson has described Manchester United’s action-packed 4-3 over their rivals Manchester City as the greatest Manchester derby of all time and it’s hard to refute that claim. From start to finish it was pulsating viewing and had absolutely everything a fan could ask for – goals galore, def...

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Hull City vs Birmingham City: Tigers target home win

Phil Brown’s men have done something this season that even the likes of Manchester United, West Ham United and Aston Villa haven’t managed to do . . . score in every league game. Chelsea, Spurs, Bolton, Wolves and Sunderland have all failed to keep Hull’s attacking threat quiet, but despite their ...

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Blues play Villa in a derby game that looks well balanced

This is a hugely anticipated fixture in the west Midlands and with both Birmingham and Aston Villa bedding in a fair number of new faces it is not an easily predictable game. A draw seems the most likely result. Birmingham has been one of the heaviest nett spenders this summer, and that squad dept...

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Tottenham Hotspur v Birmingham City: Can City stop Spurs’ awesome start?

Spurs have made their best start to a season in 49 years and nobody believes that Birmingham City will be able to stop them this weekend, despite doing the double over them the last time they were in the Premier League. However, this is a totally different team from the one that lost to a last-gasp ...

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Birmingham City v Stoke City: Which City will emerge on top?

James McFadden kept his nerve on Wednesday night to coolly despatch the late penalty award against David James at St Andrews to give the Blues their first points of the season and they’ll be confident of adding to that tally when Stoke City arrive on Saturday.Birmingham City and Stoke City have not ...

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Clash of relegation candidates as Birmingham face Portsmouth

Two of the teams tipped for relegation meet in Birmingham, both searching for their first points after opening day defeats. Birmingham will be heartened by a fighting performance in the 1-0 reverse against Manchester United but good performances in a losing cause are of little use. Blues may wel...

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Birmingham City v Portsmouth: Big Eck eyes three points from Pompey

Both Birmingham City and Portsmouth lost 1-0 at the weekend so tonight presents both clubs with the perfect opportunity to get their season off the mark. Alex McLeish’s Blues put up a good account of themselves in Sundays away defeatagainst the champions Manchester Unitedwhile Pompey went down at h...

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Manchester United will expect to repeat history against Birmingham

Manchester United could not really have asked for a more gentle opening to the Premier League campaign than this. Birmingham have not won at Old Trafford since 1978, has eight players injured and even the most one-eyed supporters will have been worried by a desultory pre-season that was dominated b...

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Manchester United will expect to repeat history against Birmingham

Manchester United could not really have asked for a more gentle opening to the Premier League campaign than this. Birmingham have not won at Old Trafford since 1978, has eight players injured and even the most one-eyed supporters will have been worried by a desultory pre-season that was dominated b...

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Who will be the major winners in 2009/10?

It doesn’t matter if you’ve got millions in the bank or are millions in debt, and no-one cares if you have a World Cup winner up front or somebody who couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo, at the start of every season everyone believes that this is the year for their team. It doesn’t matter if y...

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Squarefootball's fantasy football challenge

Do you see yourself as the next Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger? Do you think you can pick a better team than Harry Redknapp or Rafa Benitez? Brilliant, then why don’t you join us in competing for the coveted Squarefootball fantasy league crown? For the past few years we at Squarefootball to...

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Squarefootball's fantasy football challenge

Do you see yourself as the next Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger? Do you think you can pick a better team than Harry Redknapp or Rafa Benitez? Brilliant, then why don’t you join us in competing for the coveted Squarefootball fantasy league crown? For the past few years we at Squarefootball towers...

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Sir Bobby Robson - A tribute to a true gentleman

The world of football lost one of its most famous sons yesterday. Sir Bobby Robson, the former Ipswich Town, Newcastle United, Barcelona and England manager, passed away aged 76 following a long battle with lung cancer. Fans, players, pundits and managers have been paying their respect to Robson wit...

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The Championship: Who goes up – Birmingham, Reading or Sheffield United?

The Championship season is set to end on a glorious high for one of these teams with promotion to the Premier League the ultimate prize. But for the other two, their season will be prolonged for at least another two games as they enter the precarious play-offs. Birmingham City are in the driving se...

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Plunging Pound Could See Transfer Focus Switch To Football League

With the opening of the January transfer window looming large, speculation is rife as to which big name stars from Europe’s major leagues will be winging their way to the Premiership over the next few weeks. However, with sterling’s collapse against the Euro meaning that transfer fees for players b...

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How much do West Brom miss Kevin Phillips?

Kevin Phillips scored his eighth goal for Birmingham City on Friday against Swansea City as the Blues kept their promotion hopes on track. Meanwhile Phillips’s former club West Brom failed to score for the third game in a row. The Albion currently prop up the Premiership table and the lack of an out...

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Goal King Cole Abdicates

Sneaking under the radar this week was the news that Andrew (don't call me Andy) 'Goal King' Cole has retired from professional football. Cole is perhaps best remembered for his contribution to Manchester United's treble-winning season in 1998-99 when along with Dwight Yorke he formed one of the mo...

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Players we love to hate: Robbie Savage

Before Cristiano Ronaldo arrived on the scene, Robbie Savage was undoubtedly the most universally hated player in the Premiership. He made Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney look like choirboys with his constant moaning to referees, he wound up everyone with his gamesmanship and in-your-face style of play, ...

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Championship 2008-09 Preview - Birmingham City

Their return to the Premiership was always likely to result in a season-long battle against the drop, but Birmingham City’s cause was certainly not helped by the long drawn-out and ultimately failed takeover by Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung, which led to the departure of manager Steve Bruce to ...

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Championship Transfers: Birmingham City and Sheffield United bide their time

As June turns into July, the Championship is split into those teams who are biding their time in the transfer market and those who have made early moves to strengthen their squads. Two teams who will be fancied to mount promotion challenges next season, Sheffield United and Birmingham City, are amo...

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Prediction Panel 2007/8; Birmingham City vs Blackburn Rovers - preview and predictions

Birmingham have ended the season in poor form, without a win in five games Blues have looked on in horror as both Bolton and Fulham have climbed out of the relegation pit. Birmingham need a win to reach 35 points which is often a relegation mark anyway - and then hope than neither Reading nor Fulham...

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Prediction Panel 2007/8: Fulham vs Birmingham City - preview and prediction

Fulham fans are whistling the theme tune to 'The Great Escape' as they sleep these days, perhaps dreaming of Steve McQueen looking rugged on a motorbike - or perhaps that's just me. In any event Fulham have hit some kind of form with ten points from the last seven games; but they almost certainly ne...

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