Best Of

I think that's a pretty solid assessment.

Although I'd add that I don't feel any of the attacking plays are in really, really good form. Udoh has done Ok lately. Kone has had a brief spell out. GMac had done alright without really firing. Fred actually made some recent breaks on Sat but has otherwise been underwhelming. Sads still injured. Early in the season all our attackers seemed to have a run of really good form. We'll need a couple of them to find that form again in the season close and at the moment it's unclear whether that's likely to happen or not.

We also don't really know what Dodds will be like in this situation. Seems to have had a positive impact on defensive shape already, but is he the kind of guy that can get the team fired up for the big games? I expect Wrexham will come at us with a direct, niggly, physical approach in ten days time. We'll need to match them in that department, which requires a bit of fight and determination to go alongside the skill, strategy and shape.

On reflection there are reasons to be optimistic here. Until Norris was given the signal to experience an injury, we looked appalling trying to play our usual passing around at the back game. Birmingham had done their homework and their press was outstanding. Fair play to Dodds for switching tactics as had we tried that all game we could have been humiliated.

Had Simons not committed a red card foul we may well have got something and again well done to Dodds for another tactical shift that meant we looked pretty solid despite being a man down and up against a team that would likely be mid table championship or more if they were in it Tiks season.

Some head scratching for Dodds on Monday and if we get a win on Tuesday then it’s game on again.

We were down the front and the acoustics were odd, making it see quite quiet from behind us although I’m sure it wasn’t. Decent pre-match fry-up at a cafe near the bus station meant the dodgy chips weren’t required. £4.50 to park less than a mile from the ground.

COYB

Overall I don't think that was too bad. I can't recall ever seeing a League 1 side press so aggressively as Birmingham did in the first 30. We simply couldn't deal with it and could have been 2 or 3 down.

Second half the tactical setup worked well. Looked to me like the box shape of Udoh-Gmac-Humphreys-Scowen made it harder for Birmingham to pick passes between the lines and instead forced them round the outside.

I imagine Birmingham are will do well next season as well. They appear to have a really strong side. Losing 1-0 away with 10 men is certainly no disgrace.

Crucially, we must now come out firing on Tuesday and get a home win. Anything else will start to cause real frustration after recent draws at home.

Reach did well I thought. Although an injury to Harvey is a massive loss if he's out for any length of time.

I took the 1875 free shuttle bus from New Street to the ground, but after the game I had enough time for a leisurely walk back into the city centre. I really enjoyed it (apart from the odd cry of W**ky Wanderers) and was impressed that thousands of others did the same.

One thing this (excellent) ongoing thread is telling me….......we've lost a lot of games haven't we?

Are you aware of such a place?