2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Alex Dicken)
Crawley Town didn’t read the script for Birmingham City’s first game at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park since becoming League One champions. The relegation battling Red Devils frustrated Blues and a sold-out home crowd to seal a point that, in truth, does little to help them in their fight at the bottom. Crawley are still six points adrift of safety with only three games to play.
Blues are playing for records now and the picture hasn’t really changed. They require three more wins from their final five to break Wolves’ points record and four for the EFL record. Here are our talking points from Blues’ 0-0 draw with Crawley.
.. Stansfield was the answer Every time Jay Stansfield got the ball and faced up Charlie Barker in the first half Crawley were in trouble.
Stansfield was the attacking answer for Blues in the opening quarter and the goal should have arrived. He missed two chances himself and put a wicked left-wing cross on Willum Willumsson’s head that wasn't put away. When Stansfield skinned Barker and got the defender booked, for some reason, Blues stopped utilising him to the same extent.
A certain type of striker is required For the second game in succession Blues failed to score and you can’t help but feel they were missing a physical presence in the box in both matches. Lukas Jutkiewicz has only played a bit-part role this season and Lyndon Dykes has missed the last two months through injury, although his suitability to this particular role hasn’t been proven aside from his towering header against Bradford City. The ball has gone wide an awful lot in Blues’ last 180 minutes of football but the crosses have been dealt with too easily.
A physical centre-forward, who doesn’t lack mobility to cope with Davies’ pressing demands, will surely be high on Blues’ priority list in the summer transfer window. Get the latest Blues headlines sent straight to your phone BirminghamLive has its very own Birmingham City WhatsApp community to deliver the latest headlines straight to your phone. Just click this link to receive daily Blues content and breaking news.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. Click on the name at the top of your screen while in WhatsApp and click 'Exit Group'.
Read our Privacy Notice. An unbeaten season at home? Almost. Blues are one game away from completing an unbeaten season at home in League One.
There have been eighteen victories and four draws in their 22 games and Crawley became just the second team to stop Blues from scoring at home this season. If Blues avoid defeat to Mansfield next weekend they will have completed a league season unbeaten at home for just the fourth time in their history. The last time Blues managed it was in the 1971/72 campaign.
Their quite frankly ridiculous home form has been the reason Blues have been able to pull so far clear at the top of League One. A word on Lee Myung-jae There was nothing in Lee Myung-jae’s 20-minute cameo to suggest he isn’t good enough to play for Blues in League One. The South Korean looked athletic, energetic and slightly more attack-minded than Alex Cochrane.
He played the position differently to Cochrane, in that it became more of a back four in possession with Lee on the field. Maybe there’ll be a start for Lee before the season is out. Davies said: “I think he did well.
It’s always difficult coming in for your first game. He’s trained a lot but hasn’t played. “He handled it well and hit one very good diagonal pass to Taylor (Gardner-Hickman) and he was pretty sharp with the ball.
“He will now play. In the next five games he’s going to have to play some of them because Alex just won’t be able to go game after game.” Did Lee impress you? Let us know your thoughts HERE.
