You don't know what you're doing . . . do you?
That boy Quincy, that question.
Alex McLeish has explained why the winger was left on the bench at Nottingham Forest, much to many people's chagrin.
In essence, McLeish wanted to try to win the game but felt Blues were far too open in the second-half.
Therefore, Cameron Jerome came on to play on the left-hand side instead because McLeish believes he does a better defensive turn than Quincy. And he has more of a physical presence.
McLeish, though, was apparently less than impressed with Jerome's tracking back as the game evolved, and the diligence of others too.
And he wasn't prepared to then risk throwing on Quincy as well as Forest piled through and got at the Blues defence.
With hindsight, he might have done things differently.
Jerome replaced Kemy Agustien in the 58th minute and Kevin Phillips substituted Nigel Quashie with 15 minutes to go.
Jerome has been effective playing as a left winger on occasions, but McLeish knows it is not an ideal scenario.
"At one-each in the game and we weren't doing that well, I thought that Cameron - although he prefers to play through the centre - should come on in the wide area because he can defend a little bit better than Quincy," McLeish said today.
"It would have maybe left us less vulnerable when Nottingham Forest counter-attacked. For instance, we were going forward and looking for Cameron's pace and strength to make a difference, and his power.
"It didn't work out so maybe in retrospect I could have played Quincy.
"But that was the reason, to make sure we didn't lose the game also because Cameron has a better understanding of the defensive side than Quincy.
"I explained that to Quincy as well. He was fine. He was disappointed not to be involved. But he never threw his dummy out of the pram or anything like that.
"I told him, during the week, that looking back maybe I could have thrown you on and you could have won us the game.
"But at the same time it was one-each, we weren't playing well, Forest had the upper hand and I was worried about the defensive side.
"He's not as good as Cameron at that side of it.
"That was basically it.The punters were maybe thinking that I didn't know what I was doing, but there was a method in the madness."
McLeish felt the work ethic in general tailed off at the City Ground and Blues ended more a bunch of individuals than a team.
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Colin Tattum - Mail man Colin Tattum’s view of what’s going on at Birmingham City FC.
Colin,
Thanks for asking Alec the question that you know many Blues fans have been asking since Saturday. It means a lot to the supporters when Alec explains his thinking and is also honest enough to admit that he may have made a mistake.
John,
It's Alex (as in Higgins) as opposed to Alec (as in Gilroy)
Anyway, i agree with you - fair play to Mr McLeish for not shying away from this one!!!
Lets face it McCleish is showing every sign of not knowing what he's doing. Centre forwards playing left wing, Quincy, a left winger left out despite McCleish talking of a £5m transfer only weeks before.
The team lacks consistency of selection, we lack tempo, any surprise given the age of Carsley and Phillips, the latter incidentally a virtual passenger. We have no box to box player, no central midfileder who can pass (and i don't mean Carsley's crab like 2 yarders) and no leadership.
Playing 4-5-1 at Forest a team vulnerable to pace shows a lack of guts and nouse
I am one of many who are bored senseless by how McCleish plays, its frankly rubbish and route one and i'm equally sick of the whole ownership team, no more demos just thousands voting with their feet and not turning up.
I still go home and away but god knows why, we are a team and a club devoid of a soul.
Kris, I agree with many of your comments mate - from my point of view we have lost our identity. Growing up as a blue nose in the late 80's meant enduring the continual arrogance & mickey-taking of Villa fans. I knew the team on the pitch were naff, but it didn't seem to matter ... we had mad, passionate supporters, who cared so much. I knew what we stood for and I wanted to be part of it.
Today, we have a few thousand die-hards who have become so apathetic that the atmosphere at St. Andrews is either flat or negative/unpleasant towards the team. The rest are made up of the many thousands who still love the club, but are so fed up they don't go anymore. We're stuck in limbo in that our owners don't provide enough financial backing for the Prem (or for a decent Jeff Hall memorial clock, scoreboard, Main Stand etc...), but their collective wealth gives supporters the justifiable expectation that we are better than a stuttering 2nd in the Championship. Therefore the best start in our club's history still somehow feels like were underachieving, when 10 years ago the ground would've been packed. I hate to say it, but we desperately need a Lerner - the man's a PR expert & puts his money where his mouth is.
As far as McLeish goes, I think his management team over-complicate things. Jerome is a raw, talented, right-footed centre forward. To play him left-wing is ridiculous. Phillips is only a passenger because he has played his entire career next to a target man - O'Connor may be injured, but to play McFadden up front with him was always destined to fail. It's not due to a lack of quality (in this division) up front that we don't score, it's by playing an unbalanced side by picking too many attacking players in the wrong positions. McLeish likes his full-backs (hence dropping Kelly) and midfield (why he insists on an obviously unfit Quashie) to attack, whilst not settling on a front two. That's why teams like Cov & Doncaster outplay us, because they easily pick holes through our team leaving or captain totally exposed. I would disagree on one thing - you won't find a better bloke or leader in the Championship than Lee Carsley.
Tatts, for crying out loud can we start buying creative and goalscoring midfielders?....Ferrie Bodde at Swansea would be a start. I'm a bit disappointed as when Eck arrived he stated he wanted to play in a way that entertained the fans...? Answers on a postcard.
i was at the city ground and there was some jerk behind me shouting "bring on quincy, are you deaf ? go back to east fife" or that kind of thing. IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ALL AND SUNDRY THAT HE KNEW ZILCH ABOUT FOOTBALL, NO ONE WITHE EVEN HALF A BRAIN WOULD HAVE PUT QUINCY ON, GIVEN HIS WOEFUL DEFENDING, AND WITH RIDGEWELL AT LEFT BACK. SAVE ME FROM IDIOTS PLEASE, SUPPORT THE BEST BOSS SINCE FREDDIE GOODWIN, AND IF THESE PLAYERS DONT DO IT, GET RID OF THEM !
I dont know about Quincy and Forest,what I do know is about Quashie against Charlton.
Having head butted a Charlton player in the first half-he then has a second go and gets himself needlessly sent off early in the second.
WE DONT NEED USELESS LIABILITIES LIKE THAT!
McLeish should have had him off immediately after the headbutt and got the far superior Nafti ON/he sould have on his way to the dug out got his P45 and told him,get out of here son and never return.I will support Blues to the hilt,I wont support thuggery!
Carley,Nafti,Johnson are ALL the same type-we are covered-spend the wages on a ball playing midfield player OR give Larsson a run there - its strange he is good enough to play centre midfield playmaker for his country (hardly a footballing minnow are they Sweden?) - yet he cant play there for Blues??????
well done Mr M for not taking Mr Q off as he made our last two goals.
Andy - Quashie never headbutted the player - he just chest butted (??) him and the Charlton player made a huge song and dance about it rolling around on the floor. If you need to throw some blame then throw it at the ref for not stopping the constant kicking at Quashie's heels whenever he got the ball..