Paying the penalty

To be honest, what did David James expecting wearing pink, or whatever colour it was supposed to be?

Maybe the linesman gave the penalty for such a garish outfit. And the 'tache.

Blues just about deserved their first Premier League win of the season, courtesy of James McFadden's penalty two minutes into stoppage time.

James's challenge on Sebastian Larsson was reckless, it was a foul. Larsson was cute, he veered in to make sure there was going to be contact when the ball looped over to the far post.

McFadden showed great calm and cool to sweep the ball into the top left hand corner. And what an important goal it was considering how the other promoted teams alone fared this midweek.

Blues had to get up and running sooner rather than later and build on the Manchester United performance.

It wasn't pretty, too often both sides gave the ball away unnecessarily, and at one stage it looked as if a tiring Blues had fallen into an old habit of dropping too deep.

But they continued to try and do the right things, and overcame the harm caused by injuries to Cameron Jerome and Gregory Vignal that forced substitutions.

In fairness, Kevin Phillips was bright and intelligent, with Jerome's injury probably reprieved the sluggish Garry O'Connor.

Yet the value of a natural left-footer at left-back was plain to see as Stuart Parnaby found the going hard.

Expect Blues to take a keener interest in the Armand Traore situation now, which they were always going to monitor regardless.

The delay in sending Christian Benitez on was because of worry about whether Franck Queudrue was injured or running out of gas.

It was not going to be easy for Blues as Portsmouth came and set up in a 4-5-1. Blues midfield was one of the most offensive-minded picked in years, with Keith Fahey paired with Barry Ferguson in the centre and Lee Carsley dropped to the bench.

The men in the middle had to make sure they weren't swamped and at the same time generate things in the final third.

There was a bit of luck straight after McFaddens' goal when Niko Kranjcar could only stumble and stub the ball into Joe Hart's arms from six yards.

But, as Portsmouth could well find out this season, when matters aren't certain off the pitch, and the team is not the same on it, fate tends to play a hand too.

Blues suffered last time in the Premier League, finding themselves on the wrong side of the fine margins often.

Again, an encouraging aspect was that Blues tried to play and knock the ball about, to the end and even when moves and passes went skewiff.

Granted Blues need the cutting edge to make any kind of considered approach play count. But the signs are certainly there that possession, and not panic, is an Alex McLeish mantra this season.

And the signing of Michel, an elegant footballer who doesn't waste it nor whacks it, suggests that a transformation in style shows no sign of letting up.