Birmingham 1 West Ham Utd 1 (26/12/11)

[kosherhammer]

Curtis Davies booked for the fifth time so is suspended for our game.

[vietnammer]

Didn't look up to much at all v Palace

[Voronin]

Faye, Carew and Faubert will probably be fit. Taylor and Baldock should make the squad.

Cheers. Gueesing or knowing?

[prophet:marginal]

The fifth biggest turnout of the weekend .

Most creditable, imo.

Of interest were the following:

Sheff Wed - Huddersfield = 28,600, but

Leeds - Reading = 23,162.

5000 fewer at Elland Road doesn't seem right somehow.

As for the game, Specs will run the midfield; he's got more energy than most if not all of our mob, but our defence is way better than their attacking options. Fancy us to win by the odd goal. C'mon Carlton, St Andrew's would be a good place for the 50th.

[Absentee Hammer]

Faye, Carew and Faubert will probably be fit. Taylor and Baldock should make the squad.

Cheers. Gueesing or knowing?

I think this came from a David Gold tweet, I saw something very similar from him earlier

EDIT - DG's post below:

DavidGoldWHU David Gold
@ @Joey041992 Lansbury's back. Carew, Faye, Faubert, will be fit for Birmingham, possible Baldock as well. O'BRIEN returns from suspension DG

EDIT 2 - Another post from DG on injuries

Reid, Taylor, Collison back from suspension should all be available for Coventry. O'Niel and Demel by the end of January. DG

[the pink palermo]

The last side we are to meet in this division .They finished above us last year , and they too have had a new Manager and seen numerous regular players depart , without perhaps the reinforcements we have been blessed with .

Their well documented financial plight may have an impact with one or two players who could fancy a move perhaps not as committed to the cause as they should be , unwilling to risk serious injury just ahead of a transfer window , so I have this down as a hard fought away win .

Their only threat will be Zigic if he plays against Macartney , but hopefully we could see Faye back to handle him .

So, even with them having 2 games in hand, we could well be 17 points ahead of them a week today , at the half way stage of the season .

That should tell us which trajectory the two clubs have been on since the end of last season .

[prophet:marginal]

This was the team they put out tonight (not sure about precise formation):

Boaz Myhill,
Stephen Carr,
Jonathan Spector,
David Murphy,
Steven Caldwell,
Curtis Davies,
Guirane N'Daw (Wade Elliott, 81),
Chris Burke,
Nathan Redmond (Chris Wood, 83),
Keith Fahey,
Marlon King (Nikola Zigic, 70)

[the pink palermo]

No Ridgewell ?

Who's he been sold to ?

[prophet:marginal]

No Ridgewell ?

Who's he been sold to ?

us?

[indiehammer]

I think this came from a David Gold tweet, I saw something very similar from him earlier

EDIT - DG's post below:

DavidGoldWHU David Gold
@ @Joey041992 Lansbury's back. Carew, Faye, Faubert, will be fit for Birmingham, possible Baldock as well. O'BRIEN returns from suspension DG

Yep that's where i got it from

[indiehammer]

No Ridgewell ?

Who's he been sold to ?

I don't think Hughton's played him at all this season.

Ridgewell missed a deadline day moved to Newcastle so it could be down to Ridgewell refusing to play or Hughton doubting his commitment.

[Henry Wilt]

This will definitely not be easy, they have not lost at home this season in the league (I'm not sure but I don't think they have lost any of their games at home) winning 6 out of the 9. They have also only shipped 4 goals at home (in the league) so their defense is obviously pretty tight at home although they have only scored 13 so not fantastic going forward.
This is in stark contrast to their away form where they have lost 7 of 11 and shipped 19 goals so anyone trying to form an opinion based on the Palace game might be getting a false picture.
I'm afraid I can't see this being anything but a boring 0-0, but I'll happily take a point from this and look forward to Derby where I think we can take all 3 points.

[durham city hammer]

Apparently Ridgewell and Hughton had a bit of a falling out in the summer, he almost joined newcastle on the last day of the window so no doubt that had something to do with it, pardew rumoured to be going back in for him this window and with blackburn losing scott dann for at least six weeks i can see ridgewell having a few options, hard game this which will be won either way by the odd goal!

[bubbles1966]

Starting to look like:



I expect Carlton to own whoever they have at centre half.

Subs: Stech: Lansbury: Piquionne: Carew: Baldock (if fit)

[the pink palermo]

I expect Carlton to own whoever they have at centre half.

Best post ever from you there Bubbs .

[UptonHammer]

This lot mugged us off last year - revenge time! 0-3 Nolan x1 Cole x1 Whiskers x1 COYI!

[hawkins_hammer]

If Zigic starts can Faye mark him instead of Tomkins please. I still have Carling Cup flashback nightmares.

[mattjp]

I don't think Hughton's played him at all this season.

Ridgewell missed a deadline day moved to Newcastle so it could be down to Ridgewell refusing to play or Hughton doubting his commitment.

Not at all true. Ridgewell was playing regularly at the start of the season but has been out injured since the beginning of November with a thigh problem.

[Stepney]

1-1. Respect the point!

[thejackhammer]

1-1. Respect the point!

Even Carlton said in an interview that it's a tough game and if we get a draw we need to respect the point.