Birmingham v Leeds - Team/News/Reports/Ratings

[weasel]

Only needs 1 moment of magic from Pablo to potentially score/create the winning goal.

[1964white]

Only needs 1 moment of magic from Pablo to potentially score/create the winning goal.

Our most creative/classiest midfielder

[1964white]

Will be at St Andrews for this one. Think its going to tougher game now Blues have got a good win at Wolves last Friday.
They have some decent players especially likes of Davis in midfield.

Personally and this may be controversial, I would not start with Pablo in this match We have to win the battle in midfield first and foremost in away games like this. He struggles in this type of fixture therefore I would prefer it if we put in an extra midfielder such as Vieira to go alongside Bridcutt and O'Kane. We need to be as solid as possible and that trio should give us that. Pablo would then be a great weapon off the bench.

I wouldnt start Sacko either. He is offering nothing right now. Give Barrow a start and lets see if he's got more to he's game than just pace unlike Haddi at the moment.

Who is going to plant perfect crosses onto the heads of Pontus, Bartley & Wood from corner-kicks if Pablo isn't on the pitch, who is undoubtedly our most skillful/creative player

[The Subhuman]

I'd start Hernandez, I'd also start Roofe there's some chemistry brewing there

[Gurj]

Who is going to plant perfect crosses onto the heads of Pontus, Bartley & Wood from corner-kicks if Pablo isn't on the pitch, who is undoubtedly our most skillful/creative player

Fair point Leon but from the way games I have seen of late, he has gone missing. These high intensity war's of attritions that you get away against teams like Ipswich and Blues are not he's type of game for me.

I have no doubts about he's ability, he is a wonderfully gifted player but sometimes you have to have grafters ahead of the likes of Pablo, win the battle and then bring the luxury players on when the midfield dogs of the opposition have tired.

[lufc1304]

Fair point Leon but from the way games I have seen of late, he has gone missing. These high intensity war's of attritions that you get away against teams like Ipswich and Blues are not he's type of game for me.

I have no doubts about he's ability, he is a wonderfully gifted player but sometimes you have to have grafters ahead of the likes of Pablo, win the battle and then bring the luxury players on when the midfield dogs of the opposition have tired.

Spot on, Gurj, the ugly stuff is not Pablo's game. Even at home on Saturday against wendies, it was abundantly clear that tackling isn't his strong point (looks like giving away a free-kick every time he puts in a challenge, most of which are half-hearted). Brum will be up for this, so I'd agree we bring him on once they tire in the second half.

[Cravex]

Got to start Pablo for me. He is the reason we won the midfield battle against Wednesday as Hutchinson had to spend the whole game following him. This allows the destructive combo of Bridcutt & O'Kane to dominate. He is the most likely to unlock the Brum defense and our only true dead ball specialist. Also - I want to see some nutmegs, I wish someone would produce a youtube video of all Pablo's nutmegs this season.

Team:
Green
Ayling
Barltey
Jansson
Berardi
Bridcutt
O'Kane
Roofe
Sacko
Hernandez
Wood

I'd only change Roofe in for Doukara from the last game as Douks looked shattered at the end, plus he didn't really add anything and gave away the pen. I think Monk will likely go with Dallas over Doukara as he seems to prefer him in away games and he's notched a couple (Ipswich, Blackburn) on away soil recently.

[1964white]

Got to start Pablo for me. He is the reason we won the midfield battle against Wednesday as Hutchinson had to spend the whole game following him. This allows the destructive combo of Bridcutt & O'Kane to dominate. He is the most likely to unlock the Brum defense and our only true dead ball specialist. Also - I want to see some nutmegs, I wish someone would produce a youtube video of all Pablo's nutmegs this season.

Team:
Green
Ayling
Barltey
Jansson
Berardi
Bridcutt
O'Kane
Roofe
Sacko
Hernandez
Wood

I'd only change Roofe in for Doukara from the last game as Douks looked shattered at the end, plus he didn't really add anything and gave away the pen. I think Monk will likely go with Dallas over Doukara as he seems to prefer him in away games and he's notched a couple (Ipswich, Blackburn) on away soil recently.

I doubt Revie or Wilko wouldn't have dreamed of leaving out their best/creative midfielder

Bremner, Giles & Strachan would have played with one of their legs hanging off

[Cravex]

I doubt Revie or Wilko wouldn't have dreamed of leaving out their best/creative midfielder

Bremner, Giles & Strachan would have played with one of their legs hanging off

Exactly! I understand what people are saying about him not being in the game and not much of a battler, but it only takes one moment of magic, one second to score. I'd rather go ahead with Pablo on the pitch then bring Viera on to protect it.

[mav]

I would start with

Green
Ayling
Barltey
Jansson
Berardi
Bridcutt
O'Kane
Viera
Dallas
Roofe
Wood

Gives us a more compact, tougher harder working team to start, then bring on Pablo, and more attacking wingers as the game progresses.

[Gurj]

I doubt Revie or Wilko wouldn't have dreamed of leaving out their best/creative midfielder

Bremner, Giles & Strachan would have played with one of their legs hanging off

Pablo is good but he is no Bremner or Giles. Those guys could mix it as well as play plus they had a lot of ' minders ' who would make sure the opposition couldnt get near them at times. We havent got that luxury these days.

Dont get me wrong, if Pablo plays I hope he has a blinder. We need him to for sure but I just fear he will get lost in the heat of battle.

[Gurj]

I would start with

Green
Ayling
Barltey
Jansson
Berardi
Bridcutt
O'Kane
Viera
Dallas
Roofe
Wood

Gives us a more compact, tougher harder working team to start, then bring on Pablo, and more attacking wingers as the game progresses.

Spot on for me that Mav

[John in Louisiana]

I doubt Revie or Wilko wouldn't have dreamed of leaving out their best/creative midfielder

Bremner, Giles & Strachan would have played with one of their legs hanging off

That's just it; Revie's best midfielder was also his toughest.

Bremner gave us the creativity Cravex likes and the toughness Gurj craves. Honestly, I'm hard pressed to think of anyone in any league who combines those two things the way Bremner did. Pirlo in his prime, maybe..........

That being said, I'm for playing Pablo if only for his quality on set pieces. Nobody else on our squad delivers the ball as well.

[Norm]

faaip » Wed Mar 01, 2017 1:20 pm

I'd start Hernandez, I'd also start Roofe there's some chemistry brewing there

It's not been given time - maybe Monk thinks it's a luxury but it could mean our late good finish.
On the other hand we have 5 fingers! I see his dilemna.

[Gurj]

That's just it; Revie's best midfielder was also his toughest.

Bremner gave us the creativity Cravex likes and the toughness Gurj craves. Honestly, I'm hard pressed to think of anyone in any league who combines those two things the way Bremner did. Pirlo in his prime, maybe..........

.

Last player we had like that for me was Olivier Dacourt......super ball player but also had that bite !

[paddy parrott]

And even he had a weakness , for me he didn't get any or near enough goals for such a player.

[Gurj]

Fair point that Paddy. Shows how good Billy Bremner must have been as he chipped in with plenty !!

[1964white]

Fair point that Paddy. Shows how good Billy Bremner must have been as he chipped in with plenty !!

My boyhood hero who was different class to any of our players today

Just making a point Pablo is probably our most skillful/creative player. Surely playing two defensive midfielders is enough to do all the donkey work. Without Pablo & the inconsistent Sacko in the side Chris Wood is in for a long night as he'll get precious little service whatsoever!

[1964white]

I would start with

Green
Ayling
Barltey
Jansson
Berardi
Bridcutt
O'Kane
Viera
Dallas
Roofe
Wood

Gives us a more compact, tougher harder working team to start, then bring on Pablo, and more attacking wingers as the game progresses.

I thought we were compact v Wednesday keeping their £25m strike-force very quiet

So Roofe who runs around like a headless chicken is preferred to the brains of our team, a player who actually makes us tick

As for Dallas or Doukara you can throw a dice in the air & come up with the same answer, both hard-working players. One of them to start i reckon, will be interesting which one Monk selects

[weasel]

I would start with

Green
Ayling
Barltey
Jansson
Berardi
Bridcutt
O'Kane
Viera
Dallas
Roofe
Wood

Gives us a more compact, tougher harder working team to start, then bring on Pablo, and more attacking wingers as the game progresses.

Trouble is if we go a goal down with that team then there will be even less space for Pablo when he gets brought on. Much better to have Pablo in from the start and hopefully we go in front and then hit the opposition on the break as we are more suited to playing on the break.