Premier League : Birmingham City 0-0 Liverpool
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Premier League Preview: Birmingham City - Liverpool
Rebuilding the fortress
Second season syndrome? What second season syndrome?
Alex McLeish might have been concerned as the season began that his Birmingham City side couldn't possibly live up to last term's impressive finish, but with five points from their opening three fixtures already such a repeat performance doesn't look out of the question.
The Scot might not be resting easy just yet, however. Whereas last season the Blues impressed with their watertight defence, this season it has shown signs of being rather more porous. Luckily, a sharper attacking edge seems to have offset that change somewhat. Two 2-2 draws have bookended the club's fledgling Premier League campaign — a superb opening day fightback at Sunderland, and a somewhat disappointing finish against 10-man Bolton at the Reebok Stadium — with a comeback 2-1 win against Blackburn Rovers in between suggesting St Andrew's will once again be a fortress this season.
And that will be the aim for the club when Liverpool come to town on Sunday. McLeish will want to get a result, first and foremost, and if he can see an improvement in his side's defensive fortitude — no mean feat against one of the league's more threatening attacking sides — then so much the better.
With a 16-match unbeaten home run to rely on, and the knowledge that they haven't lost to the Reds in the league for six years, the side will go into the game feeling rightly confident they can come away with a point — at the minimum.
Hitting their stride
Liverpool, for their part, visit St Andrew's looking to push on after an only moderately encouraging start to the season. An opening draw with Arsenal was nearly so much more (but could equally have been so much less) and a subsequent defeat at the hands of Manchester City hardly helped lift the club's currently dark mood.
And while a 1-0 win against West Brom wouldn't normally be a cause for celebration, the return to goalscoring form of Fernando Torres at least allowed the Anfield faithful to begin to hope that a corner has perhaps been turned.
With the international break granting a further chance for Torres to work on his match fitness, hopes will be high tthe Spaniard gets himself on the scoresheet again on Sunday and fully announces a return to his best. But in truth, the club's supporters will happily take a win any way it comes.
Last season, of course, a 1-1 draw in the corresponding fixture all-but ended Liverpool's realistic hopes of retaining their Champions League place. On that occasion then-manager Rafa Benitez withdrew Torres early, to the visible chagrin of both the striker and Steven Gerrard.
Barely six months on from that dark day, it will be interesting to see just how much has changed.
Not a happy hunting ground for them or many top Premier League teams last season, a positive result for the Reds at St Andrew's might suggest they have the style and improving team spirit to regain something approaching former glories as the season continues to progress.
Packing a punch | Birmingham hope to revive defensive form of last termTEAM NEWS
Birmingham
New signing Alexander Hleb was ruled out of the game with a leg injury and then ruled back in by manager Alex McLeish, but is unlikely to do any better than a place on the bench. The match also probably comes too soon for Kevin Phillips, who is also making his way back after a lay-off.The club's other deadline day signings, Martin Jiranek and Jean Beausejour, should be available to make their debuts.
Possible Starting XI: Foster; Carr, Dann, Johnson, Ridgewell; Larsson, Gardner, Ferguson, McFadden; Jerome, Zigic.
Liverpool
Dirk Kuyt will miss the game due to the freak shoulder injury he sustained while on international duty with the Netherlands, but new signings Raul Meireles and Paul Konchesky could both make their club bows.Joe Cole sits out the last game of his three-match suspension, while David Ngog is a doubt after his withdrawal from France's Under-21 game in midweek, which might give Ryan Babel a chance to stake another claim for regular first-team inclusion.
Possible Starting XI: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Konchesky; Poulsen, Lucas; Babel, Gerrard, Jovanovic; Torres.
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last season we lost at st andrews park.
but im pretty hopeful we can play well today.
hoping meireles can play today.
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sell to arab
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liverpool is poor today
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Birmingham City 0-0 Liverpool: Pepe Reina keeps Blues at bay as uninspiring Reds claim draw at St Andrew's
Debuts for Konchesky and Meireles in another stalemate between the two...
Liverpool played out a goalless draw against Birmingham City inside St Andrews Stadium, with Roy Hodgson having a brilliant Pepe Reina display to thank for helping the Reds snatch a point.
Liverpol lined-up in a 4-5-1 formation more familiar under Rafa Benitez's reign. Lucas and Christian Poulsen were selected to anchor the midfield and Steven Gerrard was moved into a position just off lone frontman Torres. Roy Hodgson handed a debut to summer signing Paul Konchesky, who started at left-back, with fellow newcomer Raul Meireles starting on the bench.
The Blues opted for a familiar 4-4-2 set-up, with James McFadden supporting Cameron Jerome up front and also tucking into midfield to provide security in numbers in the centre of the park. Last-minute transfer capture Martin Jiranek was given a spot on the bench.
Proceedings kicked-off with the home side applying their thorough pressing game all over the park to make life hard for Liverpool and it wasn't until the ninth minute that there was an attempt at goal. Liverpool were given a corner and Gerrard swung in from the right but his cross was well defended. The ball fell back out to the captain who had a shot which looked on target before hitting Sebastian Larsson and bouncing safe.
Soon the Reds had another half-chance, this time a good cut-in from the right-flank saw Glen Johnson square into the box but the ball fell awkwardly to Torres and his shot went harmlessly wide.
Hodgson's side were generally having the best of the play, even if they were being forced to operate at a rushed tempo as a result of the intense pressing. However, it was the Blues that had the best chance of the game so far in the 22nd minute.
McFadden managed to race past the attentions of Poulsen and Lucas in midfield before looking up and delivering a peach of a cross into the box. The quality of the ball meant Jerome could steer it unchallenged into the bottom far post with his head but Pepe Reina managed to dive spectacularly and prevent the home side taking the lead.
Alex McLeish's side then had another chance to go ahead a few minutes later, this time from a set piece. Jamie Carragher challenged McFadden unfairly right on the edge of the box and the Scot stepped up himself to take it, but from a great position, his effort at goal was well wide.
The momentum of the game was swinging over to the home side as Liverpool appeared riled by the Blues' off the ball pressure and on two occasions in quick succession, the visitors had their goalkeeper to thank for not conceding.
The first chance arrived on the 36th minute. Konchesky let Larsson run behind him down the left and the Swede had time to pick out Jerome in the dangerzone. But from ten yards in front of goal, the striker's headed effort could only deflect off the gloves of Reina, who produced a great reaction save.
Mere seconds later the 'keeper had to be on hand again to deny Craig Gardner, diving acrobatically to his far post to maintain a clean sheet and thwart the Blues again.
Just before the break, the Reds were this time saved by Birmingham's poor finishing. Jamie Carragher let another Larsson cross into the box bounce past him but Roger Johnson was at the far post to collect it. Luckily for Liverpool, the stopper produced a defenders attempt at goal and the ball flew high over the bar.
Turf War | Liverpool struggle in midfield battle
Neither side made any changes at the break and Liverpool were still finding it hard to create many goal-scoring chances. They had a sniff when Konchesky made a rare successful raid forward and crossed low into the feet of Milan Jovanovic in the box. However, the Serb failed to trap the ball in a good position and nothing came of it.
The first good chance in the second half arrived from a free-kick awarded to the Blues 35 yards to the left of Reina's goal. Larsson's delivery had been good all game and the Swede produced again from the dead-ball. His cross evaded the static Liverpool defenders and Scott Dann should have buried it, but he timed his run wrong and the ball bounced to safety without any touch in the end.
Hodgson's men were beginning to improve on their first half showing, and in the 63rd minute they managed to string enough passes together to get a rare shot on goal. Lucas snatched the ball in midfield and quickly off-loaded to Gerrard. The captain spotted Torres' run behind on the right and slid the striker into the box.
Torres had run too wide though and he could only blast a shot at goal from an acute angle which Ben Foster beat away without much fuss.
Jerome could be accused of missing a host of chances in this game and minutes after Torres' effort he had another chance to break the dead-lock but squandered it once again. To be fair, this time the chance was more difficult, after he headed wide from a Stephen Carr cross under the close attentions of Martin Skrtel.
Close to the 80th minute mark, Hodgson made a double change. Skrtel was taken off for Daniel Agger and Raul Meireles was given a debut in replacing Lucas.
As the game wound to a close both sides seemed to run out of steam. Torres, who had been a disappointment much of the game, had a rare chance after being played through the centre but he was quickly closed down by the Blues' defence and could only shot tamely at goal.
In the end the Blues held on easily, and actually had the better of another stalemate between the two sides in the Premier League. -
yesterday i thought lucas was even better than poulsen. gerrard and torres loses the ball often upfront.
maxi is totally non existent.
liverpool have to attack more, they lose the ball often when the have possesion.
frustrating to even watch the game.
johnson isn't on form yesterday.
gerrard can't pass.
basically, birmingham was the better team. they pressed for every single ball.
when anyone in liverpool has the ball near their box, near to 5 defender and midfielder came back to mark and press for the ball.
i don't think maxi is even good for the premier league.
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Playing like this wont get us top 6 lah..
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relegate liow
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hopefully a win in the E league this week will help us get the spirits back in time against the match at old trafford.
