It’s been a funny week. We should have made the first trip in our new motorhome. However, after lots of preparation, Marion, wasn’t well so we had to postpone it. Then came the election, the preamble for which seemed to have gone on for ever, and the outcome of which still hasn’t been resolved.
As one set of Tories debated power sharing with another set of Tories, while a third set of Tories waited in the wings, and the world’s stock markets hovered on the brink of collapse, it was a relief to go to a football match that, in football terms, was pretty inconsequential. The result mattered financially, of course, but the hoards that came to support Birmingham were in party mood with many of them in fancy dress and most of them the worse for drink. Perhaps surprisingly, the game was fiercely contested and the result was always in the balance. It all turned out right in the end and the mood was set for what was termed the players’ ‘lap of appreciation’. Presumably the season hadn’t generated enough ‘honour’ to justify bringing the kids for a walk round the pitch.
We began with an unchanged team comprising Jaaskelainen; Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson; Weiss, Muamba, Wilshire Taylor; Davies, Klasnic. Interest centred on the bench, partially because the announcer listed Cohen among the substitutes, rather than Holden who had been involved in the warm up, and also because there was a distinct lack of Elmander or any other striker. Who was to replace Klasnic when he ran out of puff was anyone’s guess.
The first half was a strange affair; lots of incident but very little joined up play from either team. Within five minutes we might have had a penalty. Muamba carried the ball forward and having reached the penalty area he went to ground under a challenge. It looked like a foul to me and, having seen a replay, I still think it was. It was certainly more of an offence than the incident that resulted in Birmingham’s spot kick later in the game. A few minutes later Wilshire set up Matty Taylor who managed to delay his shot so long that Hart was able to rush from his line and make a splendid, but unlikely, save. The Birmingham goalkeeper has had an excellent season but he was well beaten by an terrific effort by Zat Knight, which unfortunately clipped the wrong side of the post.
In and among this, the visitors contrived to miss several half chances and commit a host of fouls while the Wanderers booted too many balls to the head of Davies. Weiss was in danger of forgetting what the ball looked like and he moved to the left, presumably in desperation. There he was fouled twice in succession as he teased the right side of the visitor’s defence and from the second of the free kicks Davies headed home Robinson’s precise delivery. I must confess that as the full back took the conventional kick I was screaming ‘Show some imagination’; I’m ever so glad he didn’t.
Having demonstrated what he could do, Weiss went back to the anonymity of the right wing. Birmingham claimed an equaliser when McFadden bundled the ball over the line with his arm. Fortunately the linesman spotted the offence causing McFadden, already booked, to question his parentage. For a time it seemed that the game might descend into bad tempered chaos and if the Wanderers had been as ill disciplined as the visitors it probably would have done, especially as we were denied the clearest of penalties. After good work by Muamba and Klasnic, Wilshire’s cross was stopped by an outstretched arm. From the rebound Wilshire crossed again only for Taylor to scoop another good chance over the bar.
So, plenty of controversy but not much in the actual play to enthuse about. We just about deserved our lead, but apart from the odd moment, we hadn’t really played well. The half time draw was made by Sasa Curcik, who some will remember from a bygone era and who descended into obscurity after leaving the Wanderers.
The second period began with a more controlled display by Birmingham and they might well have equalised but for the alertness of Jaaskelainen. First he dived low to his left to push a shot round the post then, from the resulting corner, he managed to get a hand to the ball to prevent a headed equaliser. I’ve been critical of Jussi some times this season, but he showed his worth with these two saves.
The Blues were definitely on top and it appeared that OC was ready to make changes when, against the run of play, we scored again. For once Weiss received the ball, shimmied into the box, and passed to Klasnic who hit it into the bottom corner with a first time shot. If the first goal was ‘old Bolton’ the second, well created and clinically finished, was hopefully a sign of the new. Certainly, having doubled the lead, we began to play much better, passing the ball around in fine style. Holden and Chung came on to replace Taylor and Weiss and as the on-loan City player left the field, he appeared to be saying farewell to the Reebok. Stuart Holden showed no signs of his recent injury and soon made his presence felt with a screamer from thirty yards that went narrowly wide.
We were now running Birmingham ragged with an all round improved performance, but, with fifteen minutes to go, Mr Friend made his third wrong penalty decision of the game. Benitez, the diminutive Blues substitute, appeared to tumble between Knight and Robinson as Jussi raced from his line to punch the ball clear. I’ve watched a replay several times and I still can’t see which of the Bolton players is supposed to have committed a foul. To rub salt into the considerable wound Jussi saved the spot kick, blocked the shot from the rebound but couldn’t keep out a final effort.
We were then treated to a drag version of Pamela Andersen who ran onto the pitch from the fancy dress party in the South stand. A hoard of humourless stewards hawked him off but not before he had managed to plant a kiss on the cheek of Joe Hart and he departed the scene to loud applause. The Wanderers fans in the North stand were by now extolling the virtues of Owen Coyle and in the final five minutes we were treated to a glimpse of Bibi on the left wing. He wasn’t on long but he almost set up a third goal with a cross that just eluded Klasnic.
At last the game, and the season, was over. The manager, players, and players’ families trooped round the pitch applauding those fans that had stayed. Some, principally those in suits that hadn’t been involved in the game, were less enthusiastic in their acclaim. I didn’t see Elmander, so the mystery remained. How many of the applauders will be involved in similar plaudits at the Reebok next year remains to be seen but I’m sure a Wanderers future looks unlikely for some.
As for this game, few performed well throughout. One exception was Zat Knight who was a tower of strength. He has come on leaps and bounds since the advent of Owen Coyle and as well as his prowess in defence he was unlucky not to score. He will doubtless be one that is there next season. His partner in central defence, Gary Cahill, is the centre of several rumours in the media and might be moving on. He improved as the game progressed, a little tentative early on but commanding and assured by the end. At the other end of the field, both strikers scored, which is good, but neither did much else. It isn’t, of course Davies’s fault that the ball is played so much to him in the air but I fear OC will never really change our style of play while the big man is in the team. Klasnic is the more creative of the two, and is probably our most effective goal scorer, but he is missing from the game for long periods. Whether his loan period should be converted to a purchase, I’m unsure. It rather depends on what else is available and affordable.
The two younger loanees both had their moments. As I’ve said above, Weiss should have seen more of the ball and, perhaps, the same could be said of Wilshire. The trouble with the high punt forward is that it cuts out central midfield and young Jack, while by no means idle, doesn’t have Muamba’s ability to win the ball for himself. He has lots of talent and will be stronger and better next season, and he seems the more likely of the two to return.
For the rest, Jussi made good saves when called upon and was unlucky with the penalty, but he is the one most inclined to waste possession with a big kick forward. Steinsson did ok, Robinson was too easily beaten, Muamba had a good first half but made a few errors in the second, and Taylor was poor. As when he first joined us, he is taking up good positions, but wasting them. The only reason for his presence in the team is his ability to steal a goal. If you discount his penalties, and the odd goal from a free kick, he hasn’t scored enough this term. Holden is at least as good as Taylor with dead ball kicks and appears to have much more to offer.
Now we can all forget about football for a while. We are off to Grassington tomorrow to explore the beauties of Wharfedale on foot and cycle, and hopefully Nick Clegg will decide before too long which side his bread is buttered. However, I’ll soon be trawling the web again for transfer news and looking forward to seeing Owen Coyle’s New Super White Army.
Depending on where you are in the world, have a good summer or winter.
