Blues on the relegation trapdoor-face another must win game

The fear of relegation looms over Blues as they go into a vital game on Saturday at home to Huddersfield. Just two points above the relegation trapdoor with two games to go. What worries me most is the abysmal goal difference of minus 21 which is much worse than any other club in the Championship survival dogfight. I hope it does not end up being the difference between disaster and survival because Blues would be in deep trouble.

There are other clubs who are not out of the mire yet but it looks like a straight fight between Blackburn, Nottingham Forest and Blues to see who stays and who drops.

I remember the last time they dropped into the third division (League 1) and that was under the manager ship of Barry Fry. The road back was amazing and ended up with them clinching promotion with a 2-1 win at Huddersfield.

It’s just another of those quirky football things that Blues had to beat Huddersfield to win promotion and this Saturday they have to beat Huddersfield for an entirely different reason and that is to all but guarantee Championship safety. I am certain every single Blues fan would be delighted if they get the same result; a 2-1 win.

What has been most galling is the lack of goals and that has been a key factor in them slipping towards the relegation zone. In fact Brighton have scored more at home than Blues have scored in total home and away so far this season.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the Gary Rowett sacking one thing stands out like a sore thumb. In 21 league games Blues scored 26 goals conceding 27 while in the following 23 games they scored 16 and let in 37. So there is no surprise the team is battling for its Championship life.

I am hoping Aston Villa do Blues a massive favour by beating Blackburn at Ewood Park. But for that to really ease the pressure Blues have to help themselves and win on Saturday. As my old boss Tony Butler would say time to get the prayer mats out.

Not sure anyone could stand the stress and pressure of it going down to the last game.

I just can’t get my head around those who would rather see their neighbours relegated? I love all derby games and the pre match build up and after match debate. What on earth would we all have to talk about in the pubs, clubs, factories and offices during the season? Would you not miss that I know I would.

The Latest — Tom Ross's Goalzone

Whether Gianfranco Zola ends up being a good manager or not for Blues one thing is for certain I am sure many would agree he is one of the unluckiest although some Blues fans would argue with his run of results he is lucky to still be in a job.

The fact that the referee rang him and apologised for disallowing a perfectly good goal against Derby (that would in all likelihood have changed the result in Blues favour) was little consolation for the likeable Italian, the players or the fans. That incident just reinforces the argument for video replays to aid the officials. However it is not bad luck that has seen them fall into the relegation mix but a combination of poor defending and poor finishing have played a part.

Earlier this week the clubs directors ended all the speculation about his future as Blues boss when they announced that he was staying with their full support. To be honest that has been their stance from day one.

Anyone watching can see what he is trying to do and at times they have played some super football. However with every point a prisoner in the battle to ensure they stay in the Championship he has decided to play a packed midfield defensive system in recent games. That earned points at home to Newcastle, away at Cardiff and at Ipswich.

He has also said in interviews that he will not be playing that way next season when he has a number of new players in the squad that will be more accomplished to play the way he want and he will have a pre-season to work with the them.

He knows and accepts that the board have been extremely patient with him and that he would have been sacked at many other clubs with his low win % ratio. However I suspect that they probably realise that it was the wrong time to make a management change and want to give the likeable Italian a new season to show what he can do.

However it is a results business and he will have to have Blues challenging next year in a division that promises to be even tougher than it has been this season. There can be no run of poor results like the one the club are experiencing at this time with no excuses or reasons acceptable and they must be in the mix for the playoffs. I am sure the board will have made that clear to Gianfranco while I am equally sure that he will fully understand and accept the pressure that will be constant and in line with the expectation of the club and its fans.

FA Rule changes for more homegrown youngsters to be on bench??

I was interested to see that the EFL have approved a change for the 2018-19 season that will see a minimum of seven home-grown players on the team-sheet for every match whereas it is currently six. They also have ruled that every team sheet should also include one club developed player.

Like most football fans I am always happy to see players developed through the youth system making the first team but only if they are good enough.

However what does home-grown mean exactly? Firstly it does not necessarily mean English and can include a player from any country as long as he was registered with your club or any other club under the jurisdiction of the FA on or before his eighteenth birthday.

A club developed player is one who has been at your club for a minimum of 12 months prior to his U19 season.

Lots of clubs now are registering youngsters from abroad and as long as they meet the criteria they will be classed as home grown or club developed.

It’s designed to increase the number of academy prospects getting through to the first team. If a club does not name seven for any game everyone under that total they will have to reduce the number of substitutes on the bench. Likewise if a team-sheet does not include a “club developed “player then they must reduce their list of substitutes by one.

So someone please explain how sitting on a bench will facilitate development for any youngster? They have to be playing games and surely the best way is to go out on loan at a lower club and get game time under their belts.

For me it also highlights another issue with some youngsters. The less switched on mature youngsters could think that sitting on the bench wearing a first team shirt and being named in the match day programme means they have made it when nothing could be further from the truth.

Being cynical part of me wonders if this new initiative has been driven partly by the academies collectively nationwide. Those in charge of academies throughout the country will immediately be able to highlight the increasing number of players getting through to the first team squad. Making it look like success when in reality it’s the number of first team games a youngster plays that determines if he has made it as a professional and that is down to the manager and not the FA or Academies.

I am sure that any manager would pick a youngster if he thought he could make an impact in the first team and immediately Darren Carter springs to mind no manager would need to be forced to play them or include them on the bench. .

True managers make mistakes when it comes to judging young players in fact the game is littered with them at all clubs.

I love to see young home grown or developed talent making the first team. It should be the highlight of any young player’s career when he is called up to the first team. It should also be a reward for hard work, attitude, character and talent not because someone has dreamed up a rule.

A side effect is that any young player called into the first team squad because the club have to obey the new FA rules will have an agent who will be demanding more money because his young player has made the first team?

Half and half-No way

Will someone please explain what half and half club football scarves are all about? They are not in any way what football is about? I am sure you would never see a Rangers-Celtic one, Baggies-Wolves-Villa-Blues one so why on earth have them for any other two club teams. Surely no genuine football fan in their right minds would buy one?

I think it may just be acceptable for international teams! For example having an England scarf with one half showing your club team. But half and half club scarves is definitely a big NO NO and with my tongue firmly in my cheek I think they should be banned by the FA

Will Villa end the season thinking what if?

Steve Bruce seems to be working his Championship magic at Aston Villa who, after a nasty wobble, have now won six of their last seven games and kept six clean sheets.  

Will his promotion Midas touch work a miracle this season? As I write this there are just six games to play and they 9 points behind sixth placed Sheffield Wednesday so it looks a very long shot indeed. However over the last 5 years the sixth place team has had 74, 78, 72, 68, and 75 points respectively. There are18 points left to play for so even if Villa won all 6 they would only have 75 points. So not impossible but highly unlikely.

However they just might make the run in exciting.

I am sure most fans are already thinking about a push for automatic promotion next season and also wondering who they will be buying in the summer transfer window? So I was surprised to hear Steve Bruce say that he did not expect to be busy in the summer. CEO Keith Wyness also said in an interview with SKY TV that “they had a great squad and that there will be no excuses not to go up”.

Without doubt they have done well but in my opinion still need to strengthen with some Premier League experience to lead the promotion charge with some of the talented youngsters they have.

The three teams coming down will already have Premier League players and under the new TV deal plenty of money to invest to ensure they bounce straight back up.

We are in danger of the Premier League becoming a members only club and the longer our teams are out of it the tougher and more expensive it will be to get into it.

Reading between the lines I wonder if Steve Bruce will have any money available to invest in strengthening his team not only in transfer fees but also in wages which are even more obscene since the new TV deal came into play.

Steve Bruce has proven he has the know-how to get teams promoted but he needs the wherewithal to do it and it’s not rocket science the better the players the better the chance you have of winning promotion or trophies.

Maybe his biggest problem will be unloading some of the expensive tripe that had been bought before he arrived especially if he needs to sell to finance some new players.

Hopefully Dr Tony Xia, who has already sanctioned plenty of spending will be encouraged to dig deep once again and increase the clubs likelihood of automatic promotion.