Post PNE
Someone should tell Preston that their play-off victory over Blues was in 2001 - seven years ago.
They're still glorying in it at Deepdale.
There was a re-run of the penalty shoot-out on the big screen at half-time, which brought more cheering from the home support - all 9,000 or so of them - than was heard during the game that they had actually come to watch!
The save from Marcelo's kick, Darren Purse hitting the post . . . hurrah!
And when the footage panned to TF in a huff in the dug outs, the decibel levels raised even further.
Now remind me, how did they get on in the final that season?
It struck me that Blues were a bit like Albion on Saturday. No, not exactly like them, but in some way.
They moved the ball around pleasingly enough, they looked to play it carefully and short instead of just hoiking it, there was some nice inter-passing. . . but there was no end product.
I sometimes think that Blues under-achieve in so much that they are too reserved, too casual in their belief that they are better than the opposition when instead they should be going all out to trample them underfoot and show it with a swagger, with beligerence.
That's why they leave you gnashing your teeth, they tend to play within their capabilities.
Jasper Carrott has an interesting take on the season so far.
"We're all a bit surprised we're in second place," he told the Preston programme. "If we played well for 90 minutes like we can do, we'd be halfway up the Premiership!
"We do play good football, but it comes and goes and it's very frustrating because we were all over Wolves in the first-half and we must have had five or six chances.
"Then the second-half came and we got a goal, but then we sat back and let them into it and they equalised and in the end we were lucky to get out with a 1-1 draw. It's so frustrating."
Who was the last team you can remember who put together the 'perfect' 90 minutes?
It appears that's what most people would like from Blues, but it just isn't going to happen.
That's not a slight on them, or on the demands. It's just being realistic.
Especially in the Championship, where it's a relentless slog with little time to breathe between games, you are not going to get the ideal.
Reading a few years back perhaps, Fulham certainly, possibly Sunderland of Phillips-Quinn, were all pretty tasty. But none of them had it all their own way all of the time.
Albion of 2006-07 were supposed to be the best footballing side in the division, weren't they?
Wolves fans will tell you that they haven't been playing too well of late, although the perception is that they are blowing everyone away.
We do tend to be quick to criticise our own and heap praise on others, thinking they must be better, whereas we perhaps should appreciate what's on the doorstep and rally behind it, until such time it's obvious that matters are beyond hope.
Quick question: is Quincy better away from home than at home? I reckon so.
He gives a different dimension, one Blues haven't otherwise got, when he's carrying the ball at speed over distance.
And he's found it more frutiful surging into the spaces that appear on other teams grounds rather than at St Andrew's, where it's a lot tighter.
And for all the stereotypical jibes about wingers not fancying it and being a bit lightweight without the home comforts, it hasn't been the case with him.
At Southampton, Derby, Cardiff, Plymouth and Preston he has been a danger. He's maybe not produced consistently, and the final ball or decision hasn't always been effective, yet he's got that maverick tendency to conjure up a moment of magic, plus searing speed, which adds to Blues.
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Colin Tattum - Mail man Colin Tattum’s view of what’s going on at Birmingham City FC.
Tatts,
Good article. Thanks for a balanced view of the Blues. It is so depressing reading the message boards at the moment. After one defeat doom and gloom is everywhere. Let's not forget if we win on Saturday we regain our four point advantage over Reading. I agree with you that Wolves and Reading aren't all that special, they will lose again. This league is a long hard slog and I believe we have the team and manager that can get us promoted.
Absolutely fair comment there Tatts - I think some fans have absolutely unreal expectations. The amount of people who post "We're going to get tanked this weekend" before almost every game (it feels like) is just silly.
There is a reason we're 2nd - and it's not luck, not now. The simple fact is we've been taking our chances, when they've come to a large degree.
The main problem Blues have got isn't the good teams - it's the poor ones. We can't (and never have been able to) break down poor teams, and really rattle a team that comes to Blues putting eleven men behind the ball.
I blame Damien Johnson.
Good read, Tatts, I've been to all but one of the home games this season and we're a bit Bryan Hughes - we get great ten minutes here and there, and then long spells of not really fancying it. I thought we had a really good 1st half and played some of the best football I've seen this season.. Still, it had to happen, we've played badly and won; this time we played well and got beaten by a sucker punch at the end... Ironic or what? I think we've got enough in the tank to just carry on and we'll finish second - probably behind Reading because I think Wolves will choke.
I'm disappointed Tatts.
No mention of Small Heath Alliance or my sons great football reports.
Bah humbug.
Ron's dad
I think we right tio sell Savage. Where's the poll gone? The Mail has gone to the dogs
Preston are probably still upset from the time I managed to offend the entire town in the Blues programme. It's the land that time forgot; they have difficulty moving on.
You're right, Preston still glory in that game. Their equaliser was offside for a start and Danson was bought up. As for Blues fans moaning, it's getting on me tetts too. Why do we always think we shouldn't be second, we don't deserve to win. Bruce was right - nit pickers!
Is Quincy a left footer?