Callum O'Connell's Blues Blog

TWENTY SIX YEARS OF HURT

03-09-2007

The history books suggested Birmingham City would get turned over at Middlesbrough, and they were duly beaten. What couldn't be expected was the gutless performance. Callum O'Connell doesn't blame the players.

Birmingham city lose to 'Boro 2-0 - it was a result many would have expected considering we haven't beaten them on Teeside for 26 years.

Steve Bruce said we were 'woeful' and nobody other than Cameron Jerome deserved any credit - the manager once again finding everybody but himself to blame. Does he not think that it could be his fault?

His poor signings are his fault. The players can't be blamed if they don't have the ability - it's his lack of managerial skill in buying quality players.

It's not just this year, either. Two previous examples of bad management? Walter Pandiani - £2.5 million from Deportivo - the so called 'Rifle' was no more than a water pistol.

The other example is Luciano Figueroa, signed for £2.5million but never given a chance. Once he was shipped out, he was snapped up by Genoa in Italy where he became as regular goalscorer, and he's now a regular starter for Argentina.

Steve also missed out on David Nugent who as we all know was available from Portsmouth after less than a month of this season.