I'm Doing An Unbelievable Job Under The Circumstances - Notes for Birmingham Friday, 28th Feb 2014 10:02 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday's game by delving into their forums. Blues rounded on manager Lee Clark after he made this comment made to the Sky cameras in the wake of their 2-1 home defeat to Huddersfield two weeks ago. "Oh dear! Now you've done it!", "He's right, unbelievably awful", "That quote shows he's as deluded as Screaming Lord Sutch." The Blues bounced back last Saturday, winning by the same 2-1 score line at Blackpool, and despite their erratic form, most fans expect their team to avoid the drop. "We'll stay up. We've got too much of a gap between ourselves and the bottom three." Lee Clark"Lee Clark's brain in the build-up to a match is like 14 puppies fighting over a piece of bacon in a washing machine", "One Huddersfield fan said to expect him to have massive over-reactions to defeats, changing the formation and looking for quick fixes." "It's the constant tinkering I can't stand. We win at Charlton and he changes the team for Watford. He has done it all season long. I cannot remember the last time we played the same team and formation two games running", "Square pegs in round holes again." "Players look lost because their role is constantly changing and they get played out of position", "Nothing wrong with the quality of players he has brought in. The problem is more about how he plays them", "He sets out the back five, plus Lee Novak up front and the rest are chosen at random." Ownership Issues"I love this club. It's never a simple car crash, more like a fleet of petrol tankers ramming a nuclear convoy. Other teams have crises. We have huge natural disasters. Send the army in", "Perhaps something positive is happening and heralding a new era, but recent history would suggest not." Owner Carson Yeung is awaiting the verdict of a money-laundering trial in Hong Kong, and stepped down from the board earlier this month. An agreement was also recently reached to sell a 12 percent stake in the company which owns the club to an unknown Beijing-based company. "Clark is a bigger problem to the club than the owners." Many supporters are more inclined to blame their inconsistent form on their manager than on any ongoing ownership issues. "Keeping it simple is probably the most under-rated thing in football, particularly when you have poor players." Away form"Winning away is easy because we don't have to break down the opposition, and we play on the break. We fail miserably at home where we have to be more inventive and forceful." With seven away wins, Blues have one of the best records on the road in the Championship this season. "We cannot break teams down when the onus is on us to attack", "We have no game plan at home, and make poor selections and substitutions. The days when we attacked the Tilton Road end with gusto are gone." City have only managed two home victories this season. "The majority of teams who have come to St Andrew's this season, including the likes of Barnsley, Yeovil and Huddersfield have out-passed, out-fought and outwitted us. One senses our coaching is out-dated when you see how the opposition pass the ball around so much better." DefenceThere was very little comment about City's keeper, former Motherwell man Darren Randolph. The 26-year-old Republic of Ireland international has been praised for "keeping us in so many games", and "making outstanding saves time after time."
"Will Packwood has been one of the few bright spots this season." The 20-year-old youth product "defends well and gets forward for set pieces, but his distribution is woeful. I could count the number of times he passed to a team-mate on one hand (against Huddersfield)." "Packwood's a stopper and not a passer", "One of his strongest performances was in our (2-0) win a Charlton on a terrible pitch." He was partnered at centre-half in the win over Blackpool by former 35-year-old former Bolton defender Paul Robinson. "Robinson's a centre-half or nothing now. He hasn't got the legs to play at left-back", "I agree, but we do need him on the pitch for his leadership", "He's a bit suspect at full-back. We need to stick him in the centre." "Mitch Hancox is our best left-back, especially at home. He gives us more going forward than Robbo." The 20-year-old youth product returned to the starting line-up at Bloomfield Road after an ankle injury. "He has got to play, otherwise goes everything down right and it makes it easy to defend." "It's a bit of a risk starting Spector after so long out", "Putting him straight in is a bit of a risk." USA international right-back Jonathan Spector also returned to the starting XI last week. The 27-year-old former Hammer "is miles better than Paul Caddis, but he is definitely a better holding midfielder". "Caddis is dreadful. How many times does he just hoof it up to Chris Burke, going straight for the corner?" "He's doing my nut in", "When the ball broke to Huddersfield's left wing, Caddis was usually in the centre circle having to rush back to his right-back position." Former Swindon right-back Paul Caddis dropped to the bench last week, as did ex-Southampton centre-back Aaron Martin, who joined City this January. "Martin doesn't look terrible, but doesn't inspire me with too much confidence either", "He's perfectly decent at this level." The 24-year-old "is solid and makes decent tackles. I like how Martin doesn't try and showboat or play football on the edge of his box. When he's under pressure in possession, he gets rid", "Martin and Packwood look pretty solid as a long-term centre-back pairing." Midfield"Stop changing the bloody midfield. Against Derby, it was a diamond. In the next two games against Charlton and Watford, it was 4-2-3-1. It worked at Charlton, but he made two personnel swaps against Watford, and then switched to a flat four during the game. "Then, against Huddersfield, he started with a flat four, and switched to a 4-2-3-1, before moving to a narrow three (in a 4-3-3). That was six partnerships and seven midfielders in four games, with Reece Brown out of position and Tom Adeyemi played in three positions against Huddersfield." "Our midfield looks non-existent." The effects of Clark's "flat-out refusal to play a balanced midfield" appear regularly in matchday comments. "We're too spaced out. No-one wants the ball", "We're slow as anything. There is no urgency", "There's no shape or drive to the team." Central Midfield"A 17-year-old comes into the team, has a storming game in central midfield and is dropped for no reason. Then he gets brought back in to start on the left!" Many Blues have been angered by their manager's recent treatment of youth product Reece Brown. "Brown was being asked to play on the left-wing then Huddersfield had possession in order to help (left-back) Robinson out. Anyone who thinks he can play in this role should not be in football management", "He was a fish out of water on the left flank." "Callum Reilly is one of our better players and is a natural defensive midfielder", "The team is far more cohesive when he plays." The 20-year-old Irish youth product has not featured in recent games. "We burnt Callum out a bit with so much exposure. His form and confidence dipped." Former Barnet player "Olly Lee's a decent midfielder, as long as you ignore the fact that he can't tackle, isn't a good passer and gets by-passed throughout the game eight times out of ten", "He is spraying 40 yards balls around like a young Beckenbauer. Unfortunately, they're landing in the seats." Emyr Huws"Huws always wants the ball and uses it well. He's very cool in possession and can pick out a number of great passes. He reminds me of Barry Ferguson, although he gets forward more than Barry used to", "He's been terrific so far. He's composed on the ball and can definitely pick a pass."
The 20-year-old Wales U21 international joined the Blues on loan from Manchester City in January. "He's strong and mobile, and has a good delivery from set pieces", "He's a class act", "He has the potential to play for a team at a higher level than we currently are." He struggled against Huddersfield. "He looked pants today when playing in a middle two. Maybe we won't get the best out of him unless he plays as a holding deep midfielder in a three-man central midfield", "He was superb against Blackpool, but was chasing his shadow against Huddersfield." Tom AdeyemiFormer Budgie Tom Adeyemi is "a real midfield presence", "Once he came off, it gave more room for Huddersfield to bomb forward." The 22-year-old "has been getting better and better all season", "We have not won a league game without him in the team this season."
"Taking him off made sure Huddersfield could walk through the midfield with impunity", "It cost us any chance of getting back in the game, and we were just starting to get a head of steam up", He was completely ineffective on his own at the root of the midfield diamond against Derby." "I don't think we have enough strength in midfield without him", "Clark has mucked him about. He has been part of a midfield two, then behind the striker, and then he was played on the right. It can't have helped his confidence." Wide Midfield"One area that bothers me is on the left. Clark has used Brian Howard, Albert Rusnak, Reece Brown, Olly Lee and even Lee Novak. Andrew Shinnie (who hasn't featured lately) isn't a natural either", "It would be brilliant to see a natural left-winger get hold of the position for an extended run."  Albert Rusnak Newcastle loan signing Shane Ferguson "has been bombed out despite being the best left-winger in the squad. "I can't understand why Clark doesn't play him. The lad has enough experience to bring to this team, and a lot more than some of players Clark is picking instead." "Albert Rusnak is not that quick, not that skilful, very tiny, has a nice touch now and again and doesn't look as if he'll ever get into a position to score. I just can't see what it is that he's got." Blues have been critical of the 19-year-old Manchester City January loan signing. "Rusnak has flattered to deceive", "He's another player without a proper position. The central one behind the striker would probably be best, but he doesn't create enough to merit starting there. He doesn't seem to have the turn of pace to get away from a player after wrong-footing them." "Jordan Ibe is quick, direct and can play on both wings", "He's a proper left-winger at last", "Ibe seems very lively and would be the ideal player to play on the left", "Ibe showed what a player who will make it looks like", "He's a very talented player and a fast, skilful winger." Chris Burke"Burke's the best crosser of a ball that we have, and he can be deadly when he cuts in off the wing", "Burke with a niggle is still better than anyone else we've got by a country mile", "If he is fit, he must start, no matter what."
Some Blues have voiced reservations about the former Cardiff right-winger and Scotland international. "He's been average, and not half the player he was last year", "If he is marked, there is no Plan B, except to hook the ball in the air, or pass it aimlessly around the midfield." "He looked uninterested against Huddersfield", "Look at the service he was getting — hopeful 40-yard passes from Packwood or Lee when he had two men on him, and with every pass out of his reach", "Every time he gets the ball, he has three players around him." Strikers"It's a shame we have nobody better than Peter Lovenkrands to being on from the bench as he is past it", "He bottled several chances against Watford", "At least he is hungry for the ball." The 32-year-old Danish international and former Rangers striker has been recently used as a substitute. "Against Huddersfield, we were clueless, hitting hopeful long balls to Macheda, hoping he would hold on to the ball for a few minutes until we got some supporting midfielders up", "It sounds like he was getting a taste of Zigic's usual service." Twenty-two-year-old Manchester United loan signing Federico Macheda "struggles because he's not getting any service", "Don't play him on his own, He's a finisher, but needs someone to do the dirty work." Nikola Zigic"Players need to keep their edge and not get left out for weeks by a clueless manager, who then expects them to be instantly up to speed", "Zigic came on and changed the game against Blackpool in our favour today", "He had two balls in the box, one resulted in a goal and one a near chance."
The 33-year-old Serbian international came on from the bench in the last two games, his only recent appearances. "Love him or loathe him, he has to be one of the two up top. He can prove what he can do with decent deliveries into the box." "God time — Ziggy is on, we are saved!", "He's only good for the last half-hour when the opposition are knackered", "For me, we must play 4-4-2, with Ziggy and proper wingers on the pitch", "The trouble with that is we are overrun in midfield with just Huws and Adeyemi there." Lee Novak"I cannot for the life of me understand why fans don't get behind the bloke. It serves no useful purpose criticising players. The sooner fans realise this, the better." The former Huddersfield striker scored both goals last week, but he divides opinion among supporters like no other player.
The 25-year-old "is an enigma. He is never a forward, yet he isn't a winger either. However, the team is unbalanced without him. I don't believe we can leave him out, but I genuinely have no idea where he should be played." "He's a harrier, a disrupter and a chaser", "He is what I love about the Blues, a real trier, a player who gives 100%. This is what the Blues are and have always been about. He's a typical Blues player", "He's not the best forward in the world, but he works hard and puts some real effort in." Blues' Thoughts on ITFC and the GameAt the time of putting the final draft of these notes together (late on Thursday evening), there is not a thread to be found anywhere discussing Saturday's game, Mick, Jonny Williams or even our ticket prices. If there are sufficient thoughts, I will put a thread up on the forum on Saturday morning. WebsitesThe busiest message board is Small Heath Alliance.
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