Birmingham

Birmingham City V Bolton Wanderers

Date & kick-off: Saturday, 12th March – 12:45 (GMT)
Venue: St Andrews
TV Coverage: ESPN

Birmingham City

- Made two finals, their last in 1956, but have never won the FA Cup.

- Are likely to be without Craig Gardner, Barry Ferguson and Alex Hleb, who all missed Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park, while David Bentley and Keith Fahey also picked up injuries during the trip to Merseyside.

- The club has more pressing matters now that the Carling Cup has been secured, with their top-flight status still up in the air what with the Blues level on points with relegation occupants West Ham in 18th.

- Manager Alex McLeish has expressed his concerns at the state of both their league predicament and his lack of first-team numbers.

Should Birmingham go on to lift the FA Cup on May 14th, the Blues would bring a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘you wait ages for one bus and then two come along at once’. The club had previously gone 47-years without winning a trophy before claiming this term’s Carling Cup, after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Arsenal in the final, so to clinch two in a single campaign really would be a touch of irony, and some feat, too, considering Birmingham have never lifted the FA Cup before in their history.

It would be very easy for everyone to assume that whatever happens between now and the end of the season, Birmingham have enjoyed one of their most successful campaigns in their history. In this day and age, league commitments have taken precedent over everything else, so it would be no exaggeration to say that the Carling Cup will be of scant consolation should the season end in relegation from the Premier League – the most watched football league in the world.

Unfortunately, though, that very scenario is a real possibility, with the club hovering precariously over the relegation zone by a single-point. So it may not be long before Alex McLeish decides Birmingham have had their day in the sun and throws all of his available eggs in the proverbial basket, ‘available’ being the most apt word to describe McLeish’s current predicament.

The Birmingham manager is beginning to see what a season full of hard graft can do on a squad which isn’t the strongest by any stretch of the imagination, with McLeish expected to once again be without Midfield trio Alex Hleb, Barry Ferguson and Craig Gardner at the weekend, while the sight of Richard Fahey and David Bentley leaving Goodison in midweek, Birmingham earning a creditable 1-1 draw away to Everton on Wednesday, with knocks will have been sore on the eyes.

1956 was the last time Birmingham City made the final of an FA Cup, and I’m sure Alex McLeish is determined to end that particular drought. Unfortunately, circumstances so often dictate and in this instance, the Scot has his hands tied in many respects. Still, the one piece of solace is that they are the ones doing the hosting on Saturday, with St Andrews having served the Blues well in recent times.

To win the 2010/2011 FA Cup – 17.00 (16/1) StanJames

Bolton Wanderers

- Made seven final appearances, winning four, though their last was back in 1958.

- Owen Coyle should have virtually a full strength squad to pick from, with Daniel Sturridge the only absentee after featuring for his parent club Chelsea earlier in the competition.

- Bolton are unbeaten in their last four meetings with Birmingham, winning three.

- Haven’t conceded a single goal in four FA Cup matches this season, and are unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions.

It is of little surprise to hear that Bolton have yet to saviour their first experience of Wembley in a playing capacity, although the same cannot be said of their manager. Owen Coyle was at the helm when Burnley beat Sheffield United 1-0 in the 2008/2009 Championship Play-Off final, but can he go one better by guiding a club which only narrowly avoid relegation from the Premier League last season to the semi-finals of this season’s FA Cup?

Although Wembley would be an entirely new experience for the vast majority of the playing and coaching staff, the club did have their fair share of run-ins with the old Wembley. In fact, Bolton are one of the FA Cup’s most successful clubs, having won the tournament on no less than four occasions, although, you have to cast your minds back to 1958 for the last time the Trotters turned out at Wembley for an FA Cup final.

So it would be some feat should they book an eight final appearance although, as you may have already figured out for yourself, it is they who boast the greater wealth of pedigree in this competition, while their form on the whole isn’t half-bad either. Not only are they currently without defeat in their last four matches in all competitions, they are the only team left who haven’t conceded a single goal in this season’s FA Cup – a stunning achievement when you consider that in the last two rounds they faced Premiership opposition in the form of Wigan Athletic and Fulham, winning both encounters 1-0 away from home.

The positive omens don’t stop at just their current form, their head-to-head record with Birmingham City is also extremely encouraging. Bolton are unbeaten in their previous four meetings with the Blues, three of which were wins. The one and only real dampener is the fact Daniel Sturridge, who has scored three goals during his loan spell, is ineligible because he partook in Chelsea’s Third Round tie with Ipswich Town. Ironically, though, that may prove a blessing in disguise as it could mean Ivan Klasnic deputising, the Croatian striker having scored the winning goal for Bolton on his last three appearances, including both winners in the previous two rounds, at Wigan and Fulham.

To win the 2010/2011 FA Cup – 17.00 (16/1) Coral

Match Prediction: Bolton Wanderers to WIN -2.80 (9/5) StanJames

A long, gruelling season is beginning to take its toll on Birmingham, with fatigue having already crept into camp in a plague-like manner. Now Alex McLeish is facing up to the stark reality that several key players won’t even be available for Saturday’s midday clash, while he also has to think about the general conditioning of his players ahead of a crucial run-in, with surviving in the Premier League imperative but an uphill task at this rate, what with first-team numbers dropping like flies.

In stark contrast, Bolton’s Owen Coyle is having the time of his life. His team are currently in European contention, flying-high in the league, while he also boasts not only a full strength squad of players to choose from but fresh ones as well, with the Trotters not involved in midweek, unlike their opponents, who were put through their paces at Goodison by Everton and had to put in some shift in order to ground out a deserved point.

Bolton have been impressively tidy in the competition so far, with keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen having yet to pick the ball out of his own net. Clinical, professional, you may even say business-like, which is more than can be said for Owen Coyle’s dress code. Coyle has successfully rotated his squad in the FA Cup this season and we feel his team of Trotters are a fantastic shout to out-manoeuvre and probably out-run, considering how many tiring matches the Blues have been involved in of late, Birmingham at St Andrews, where the hosts are usually formidable but have lost two of their last three games.

Value Bet: Ivan Klasnic First Goalscorer & Bolton WIN 1-0 (Scorecast) – 26.00 PaddyPower

Lightening has struck twice so why not a third time? This exact bet would have netted you a handsome amount in Bolton’s previous two FA Cup clashes, Klasnic bagging the winner at Wigan in the Fourth Round and again at Fulham in the Fifth Round.

Match Odds:

Birmingham City – 2.80 (9/5) BetFred
Draw – 3.30 (23/10) Boylesports
Bolton Wanderers – 2.80 (9/5) StanJames

Birmingham City V West Bromwich Albion

Date & Kick-Off: Saturday, 5th March – 12:45 (GMT)
Venue: St Andrews
TV Coverage: Sky Sports HD2

Birmingham City

It was a momentous occasion, one of the biggest in the club’s hardly illustrious history, as Birmingham City secured only their second ever piece of major silverware by virtue of a 2-1 victory over the overwhelming favourites on the day, Arsenal. No doubt the post-match celebrations went on long into the night, but for Birmingham’s sake I hope Alex McLeish cut them short as this weekend’s league meeting with relegation rivals West Brom is arguably just as important as last weekend’s cup final, as defeat at St Andrews on Saturday could see the Blues go from Carling Cup heroes to Premier League relegation occupants within the space of a week.

Although no-one can never take their Carling Cup triumph away from them, that success will count for very little should the club fail in their bid to retain their top-flight status for a second successive season. The Blues, though, are well-placed to avoid the drop and do at least have their own destiny in their own hands – Alex McLeish’s men currently two-points above the bottom three but boast a couple of games in hand over those in close proximity. Collect all three points from this weekend’s home clash with next door neighbours West Brom however, who are sat one position below them in the table, and it would be another huge step towards securing Premier League football for another term.

After their stunning success at Wembley last Sunday, defying the odds to lift the 2010/11 Carling Cup courtesy of goals from Nikola Zigic and Obafemi Martins, naturally you would presume that the Blues will build on that momentum and go from strength to strength in the closing stages of the season. That really should be the case in fairness, but Saturday’s contest with West Brom is some drop down from a major final with Arsenal, so they’ll have to make some adjustments, mentally, if they’re to avoid slipping up. And slip-up being the appropriate word as Birmingham really ought to take maximum points from this fixture.

It did take a colossal effort in order to bring the Carling Cup trophy back to St Andrews, where the Blues have been beaten on just three occasions in the Premier League all season, although one of those was in their most recent encounter on home soil when going down 2-0 to Newcastle. So Alex McLeish may decide some are in need of some rest bite and could rotate his squad a little for West Brom’s arrival.

West Brom

Level on points with third-from-bottom Wolves, it would be fair to declare West Brom are a club desperate for points, plenty of them, and hopefully fast. Former Liverpool tactician Roy Hodgson was brought in to repair the damage, to galvanise a dressing room and raise the spirits of a team which hasn’t won any of its last seven matches in the Premier League, and just one of their twelve, but even he’s yet to parade around the winner’s ring as the Baggies’ slump in form only goes from strength to strength.

In fairness, the performances of the team under Hodgson have been an improvement on those during Roberto Di Matteo’s final few games in charge. The quality of their football hasn’t necessarily improved, however their spirit and tenacity certainly has and it could be those sort of characteristics which just sees them through till the end of the season rather than outright ability.

In Hodgson’s first two matches in charge of the Baggies, the team have had to come from behind in order to snatch a point very late on. At home to Wolves two weeks ago, it was Carlos Vela in stoppage time who grabbed what could be a valuable point at the death, while the same little Mexican popped up again during the week to ensure Hodgson’s unbeaten reign stretched beyond just one game. However, as important as those points could turn out to be, it is wins which are invaluable to their relegation cause, as the odd point here and there will not be enough to drag them over the finish line.

West Brom, in three previous visits, have never won a Premier League fixture at St Andrews, a statistic which only decreases the appeal in a Baggies team which hasn’t won away from home in the league since  late November, losing five of their last six away from home. But there have been signs that West Brom’s troubles maybe coming to an end, with both of Vela’s strikes coming with a hint of good fortune, while a four-match away run without evening scoring did at least come to an end in midweek away to Stoke. It’s steady improvement, but is it enough to go to St Andrews and claim all three points? I’m not so sure.

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FORM & STATISTICS

Birmingham City

Last 5 Matches

Carling Cup: Arsenal 1-2 Birmingham
FA Cup: Birmingham 3-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Premier League: Birmingham 0-2 Newcastle
Premier League: Birmingham 1-0 Stoke
Premier League: West Ham 0-1 Birmingham

2010/2011 League Statistics

League Position: 16th
Win-Draw-Lose: 6-12-8 (Home: 4-7-3)
Goal Difference: 25-35 (Home:
Form: LDWWL (Home: LDDWL)
Top Scorer: Craig Gardner & Nikola Zigic (5)

- Birmingham have won six and lost one of their last eight games in all competitions, including victory in Sunday’s Carling Cup final with Arsenal.

- The Blues have only failed to score in one of their previous nine league games at St Andrews.

- Nikola Zigic has now opened the scoring in three of Birmingham’s last four games.

West Bromwich Albion

Last 5 Matches

Premier League: Stoke 1-1 West Brom
Premier League: West Brom 1-1 Wolves
Premier League: West Brom 3-3 West Ham
Premier League: Man City 3-0 West Brom
Premier League: West Brom 2-2 Wigan

2010/2011 League Statistics

League Position: 17th
Win-Draw-Lose: 7-8-13 (Away: 2-3-9)
Goal Difference: 36-53 (Away: 14-30)
Form: DLDDD (Away: LLLLD)
Top Scorer: Peter Odemwingie (9)

- The Baggies have drawn their last three league games on the spin, the previous two by a 1-1 scoreline.

- A 3-2 victory over Blackpool on January 15th at The Hawthorns remains West Brom’s last league win, the Baggies currently without a win in six.

- Carlos Vela’s late strike, which was clearly offside, away at Stoke in midweek helped West Brom put to bed a four-match barren streak without scoring in an away fixture. The Mexican has subsequently scored both of West Brom’s previous two goals, both after coming on as a second-half sub.

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HEAD-TO-HEAD

Premier League

Birmingham wins: 3
Draws: 2
West Brom wins: 2

Recent Meetings (Premier League ONLY)

2010/2011: West Brom 3-1 Birmingham
2005/2006: Birmingham 1-1 West Brom
2005/2006: West Brom 2-3 Birmingham

- Birmingham have won two of the previous three Premier League meetings at St Andrews without conceding a goal.

- West Brom are yet to register a Premier League victory over Birmingham at St Andrews; 1 draw and 2 losses.

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Betting Odds & Tips

Match Odds:

Birmingham City – 2.38 Bet365
Draw – 3.30 PaddyPower
West Bromwich Albion – 3.40 StanJames

Birmingham City V Sheffield Wednesday

Date and Kick-Off: Saturday, 19th February – 15:00 (GMT)
Competition: FA Cup; Fifth Round

The first meeting between the two in the FA Cup for 42-years and it looks all the more likely to go the way of the favourites, which in this instance is Birmingham City, and rightly so. The Blues are now plying their trade in the top-flight, mixing it with the very best in the country and, more times than not, holding their own. Their opponents, unfortunately, are on a downward spiral and if they’re not careful, could be playing their football in League Two next season. This a team who, let’s not forget, were once a Premiership club during the 90′s.

Both teams head into this Fifth Round tie on the back of disappointing defeats, though it is Birmingham who still look every bit the winner. The Blues will be buoyed by the prospect of a Carling Cup final in a little over a weeks time, their situation in the Premier League is looking a lot more healthier than it was a couple of weeks ago, while they undoubtedly have the better calibre of players. Wednesday, meanwhile, are in crisis at the present having won just one of the last eight games, as well as losing eight of their previous nine away assignments. Even a change of manager hasn’t done the trick, with the Owls in desperate need of some inspiration in order to put an end to their dismal sequence of results and victory over Premiership side Birmingham should do the trick.

Birmingham, victorious in five of the last six meetings with Sheffield Wednesday, are actually a half-decent price considering everything would appear well and truly stacked in their favour. WilliamHill go 4/6 (1.67) on a Birmingham City victory on Saturday, while bWin go 21/4 (6.25) on Wednesday springing a surprise at St Andrews. The draw, if you’re interested, can be snapped up at 14/5 (3.80) with Boylesports.

Birmingham City

With next weekend’s Carling Cup final in mind, Birmingham chief Alex McLeish is prepared to ring the changes for Saturday’s Fourth Round FA Cup tie with lower league opposition in the form of League One’s Sheffield Wednesday. The former Rangers and Scotland tactician isn’t willing to risk picking up any costly injuries before such a crucial game, arguably the biggest of his managerial career, in a match which should he win, may even save his bacon should the worst happen and Birmingham City do get relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season.

So we’re told to expect changes, though that doesn’t bode too well considering a half-decent Birmingham side struggled to overcome Coventry City in the previous round. The Blues even had to come from 2-0 down in order to seal a narrow but in the end hard-fought 3-2 victory, although they weren’t convincing in the slightest, and so, a weakened side, albeit against opposition inferior on paper, would instantly make them a vulnerable outfit ahead of Saturday’s tie.

McLeish, though, strongly believes that even with a much-changed side, there is absolutely no reason why Birmingham shouldn’t sail into the next round. He’s expecting nothing less than an accomplished performance on Saturday afternoon, and for his team to take full advantage of their opponent’s recent slump in form and lull in confidence. While there’s also the small matter of places being up for grabs ahead of next weekend’s Carling Cup showcase with Arsenal – A tasty incentive for the Birmingham fringe players if ever there was one.

Sheffield Wednesday

The club weren’t necessarily expecting instant results when they dislodged Alan Irvine from the managerial hot-seat and replaced him with Gary Megson, however I doubt they had back-to-back defeats in mind – Wednesday extending their miserable run of form to four games without winning, while away from home they’ve won only one of their last nine. Hardly a positive omen ahead of this weekend’s Fourth Round FA Cup tie at Birmingham City.

In free-fall but somehow boasting the luxury of a Fourth Round, Saturday’s trip to St Andrews could make or break the club. Dropping down to League Two is an unthinkable scenario, but plausible nonetheless. Their emphatic midweek defeat away at Tranmere Rovers left Megson’s charges languishing in the lower half of the nPower League One table, just five-points above the relegation places.

But it isn’t their poor league position which is of major concern, as relegation really shouldn’t be a reality come the end of the term, it’s their current plight in form. The Owls have only won one of their last nine matches in all competitions and even with a recent change in management, the team haven’t responded and a revival in fortunes doesn’t appear in the offing. Morale is understandably low and although their manager claims he has every confidence in his team, the players still need convincing of their own ability.

The FA Cup has, however, been their getaway clause this season, a competition in which they’ve amassed 15 goals in 4 games just to make it this far. And with their Fourth Round opponents expected to ring the changes, there is definitely an opportunity here for the Owls to really give their self-esteem, a lift and kick-start their faltering season.

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Recent Form

Birmingham City

Last 5 in All Competitions

15/02/2011: Birmingham 0-2 Newcastle (Premiership)
12/02/2011: Birmingham 1-0 Stoke (Premiership)
06/02/2011: West Ham 0-1 Birmingham (Premiership)
02/02/2011: Birmingham 2-2 Manchester City (Premiership)
29/01/2011: Birmingham 3-2 Coventry (FA Cup)

- A 2-0 home reverse at the hands of Newcastle United during the week was Birmingham’s first defeat in six games (4 League, 1 FA Cup & 1 League Cup)

Last 5 Home Games

15/02/2011: Birmingham 0-2 Newcastle
12/02/2011: Birmingham 1-0 Stoke
02/02/2011: Birmingham 2-2 Manchester City
29/01/2011: Birmingham 3-2 Coventry (FA Cup)
26/01/2011: Birmingham 3-1 West Ham (Carling Cup)

- Birmingham have lost just 3 of 20 games at home this season, failing to score in just five.

2010/2011 FA Cup

Third Round: Millwall 1-4 Birmingham
Fourth Round: Birmingham 3-2 Coventry

Sheffield Wednesday

Last 5 in All Competitions

15/02/2011: Tranmere 3-0 Sheffield Wednesday (League One)
12/02/2011: Rochdale 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday (League One)
05/02/2011: Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 MK Dons (League One)
01/02/2011: Peterborough 5-3 Sheffield Wednesday (League One)
29/01/2011: Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 Hereford (FA Cup)

- Wednesday have celebrated victory in just one of their last eight games, and in none of their previous four, with three of those coming in the way of defeats.
- Sheff Wed’s last nine games have produced at least 3 goals, as have all four of their FA Cup ties this season.

Last 5 Away Games

15/02/2011: Tranmere 3-0 Sheffield Wednesday
12/02/2011: Rochdale 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday
01/02/2011: Peterborough 5-3 Sheffield Wednesday
22/01/2011: Leyton Orient 4-0 Sheffield Wednesday
08/01/2011: Bristol City 0-3 Sheffield Wednesday (FA Cup)

- Not only have the Owls won only one of their last nine away fixtures, eight of those were losses.

2010/2011 FA Cup

07/11/2010: Southport 2-5 Sheffield Wednesday
27/11/2010: Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 Northampton
08/01/2011: Bristol City 0-3 Sheffield Wednesday
29/01/2011: Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 Hereford

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Head-to-Head

Last 5 Seasons

2008/2009 Championship: Sheffield Wednesday 1-1 Birmingham City
2008/2009 Championship: Birmingham City 3-1 Sheffield Wednesday
2006/2007 Championship: Birmingham City 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday
2006/2007 Championship: Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Birmingham City

- Birmingham have been victorious in five of the previous six meetings with Sheffield Wednesday, the Blues winners of the last three encounters at St Andrews.

FA Cup

1968/1969: Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 Birmingham City (Birmingham won the replay 2-1)
1891/1892: Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 Birmingham City

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2010/2011 League Statistics

Birmingham City (Premiership)

League Position: 14th
Win-Draw-Lose: 6-12-8 (Home: 4-7-3)
Goal Difference: 25-35 (Home: 13-15)
Top Scorer: Craig Gardner & Nikola Zigic

Sheffield Wednesday (League One)

League Position: 16th
Win-Draw-Lose: 10-6-13 (Away: 4-1-10)
Goal Difference: 44-42 (Away: 22-29)
Top Scorer: Neil Mellor (7)

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Match Prediction: Sheffield Wednesday to WIN – 6.00 PaddyPower

In the knowledge that Alex McLeish is willing to protect those key to the club’s chances of securing the Carling Cup in a week’s time, I believe Sheffield Wednesday are a touch of value providing they put their league woes behind them and get back to what they’ve done better than most in the FA Cup this season, which is scoring goals, and plenty of them.

Of course, it goes without saying that Saturday’s trip to St Andrews to face Premiership side Birmingham City is most definitely their hardest assignment thus far, but Birmingham aren’t a club with mass amounts of depth. Gary Megson is set to name his strongest side and that’s good enough for me against a Birmingham side who struggled to overcome Coventry in the last round.

Match Odds:

Birmingham City – 1.70 VictorChandler
Draw – 3.90 bWin
Sheffield Wednesday – 6.00 PaddyPower

More information:
Bet Football

Birmingham City V Stoke City

Saturday, 12th February – 15:00 (GMT)
Venue: St Andrews

If the neutrals are after a thriller this weekend to rival those which encapsulated what the Premiership is all about seven days ago, I would steer well clear of St Andrews as the league’s two most unimaginative teams clash in Birmingham on Saturday in what has ‘dull’ and ‘stalemate’ written all over it.

No team in the top-flight has carved out fewer goalscoring opportunities this season than Alex McLeish’s Birmingham, who have Stoke directly above them in this most glamorous of charts. Furthermore, after careful observation and painstaking number crunching, no venue in the Premier League has seen fewer goals than St Andrews this season, edging out Fulham’s Craven Cottage and Blackburn’s Ewood Park for the unwanted honour of being the dullest ground in the English top-flight as far as goals-per-game goes. At this rate, especially if the Blues do go down, fans will be demanding a refund at the end of the season as St Andrews certainly doesn’t boast value for money.

So, anyone fancy the draw? The only previous meeting at St Andrews in the Premiership came last season when the pair played out a not-so-enthralling 0-0 draw. Even the encounters at the Brittania have been close-run-things – 2009/2010: Stoke 0-1 Birmingham; 2010/2011: Stoke 3-2 Birmingham – so it would appear the writing is well and truly on the wall as another evenly fought contest looms large.

Match Odds:

Birmingham City – 2.50 Boylesports (General)
Draw – 3.30 VictorChandler
Stoke City – 3.00 Coral

Birmingham City

The Premiership is establishing a nasty reputation when it comes to the dismissal of managers, and reports suggest Birmingham’s Alex McLeish isn’t too far off being the next manager to see his managerial tenure with a club he’s worked wonders with brought to an abrupt end. Fortunately for him, his team have come good as soon as the rumour mill began to churn – registering four points from their last two league games as well as qualifying for the Carling Cup final – his players doing their absolute all for his cause at a time when one more horrific result could spell the end.

Hopefully these rumours circling aren’t true, as while we cannot stand watching Birmingham under Alex McLeish’s watch, we do admire how he has gone about making a previously lightweight Blues side into one of the most difficult sides to overcome, especially when playing on home turf. Only Arsenal and Everton have won at their St Andrews stadium all term, while draws with Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur only emphasise our points. Oh, and they did beat Chelsea 1-0 back in November.

Before last weekend’s fixtures came to a dramatic conclusion, Birmingham were floundering in the relegation zone. A dogged, workmanlike display at Upton Park last Sunday earned them a hard-fought 1-0 win courtesy of Nikola Zigic’s fourth league goals of the season. The three points may prove invaluable in the long-run, but even in the short term it has given the Blues a more healthy complexion. Sitting in 16th, albeit just a point above the bottom three, is still far better for morale than occupying a relegation berth and on Saturday, when McLeish welcomes Tony Pulis and his hard working Stoke side to St Andrews, Birmingham have the opportunity to register back-to-back victories in the Premier League for the first time in eleven months, although, more importantly, put even more breathing space between them and the drop.

Ben Foster has been a revelation in goal for Birmingham this season, with the Blues boasting a more tidier defence than any of their relegation counterparts. However, the former Manchester United shot-stopper’s participation at the weekend remains shrouded in doubts after he withdrew from the England squad during the week with injury. McLeish is, however, confident Foster will be fit in time for Saturday, when he will be aiming to keep his eighth clean sheet of the campaign. Alex Hleb was fit enough to play for Belarus on Wednesday so should be available for Stoke, however the rock-solid Scott Dann has been ruled out for the rest of the season after tearing his hamstring.

Stoke City

Tony Pulis, ever the pragmatist, is urging both his own team and the fans to air on the side of caution and to remain professional until the very end of the season if the club are to set new personal bests. The Potters have only spent two season in the Premiership but, after finishing both campaigns well clear of the bottom three, have become an established top-flight club in the eyes of most. We still have our doubts although, after another remarkable league campaign which recently saw Stoke become only the seventh side this season to reach double figures in the wins column, even we freely admit that Pulis has once again done a sterling job and you get the feeling now that only a couple more points are needed in order to pop open the bubbly and celebrate another successful battle with relegation; with Pulis speculating that another seven points should seal the deal.

Even though the club are on course to comfortably avoid the drop for a third successive season, Tony Pulis won’t set his sights on bettering Stoke’s previous best finish of 11th during the 2009/2010 term until everything is finalised. However, the club are well on course to clinch a top-ten finish for the very first time although Pulis is wary that the fans are beginning to demand more than is humanely possible from a side which continues to punch above its weight, though mixing it with the finest in the country has almost become second-nature to those still enthusiastic Potters.

Form-wise, Stoke are a mixed bag. The middle of November was the last occasion when Stoke strung a couple of victories together, with league wins not exactly being at a premium ever since but consistency certainly hasn’t been their forte of late. For instance, last weekend’s comeback victory at home over Sunderland helped end a two-match losing sequence yet the club are already gearing up for the possibility of a second successive Quarter-Final appearance in the FA Cup after Stoke drew League One’s Brighton in the Fifth Round.

The Brittania Stadium has a certain aurora to it which makes playing at home a powerful advantage. Take the Potters outside of the comfort zone, though, and you have a team nowhere near as potent (W3 D1 L8). And on Saturday, Tony Pulis will go about plotting Birmingham’s downfall as Stoke go in search of their first away point of 2011, after losing all three of their away encounters since the turn of the year: Manchester United 2-1 Stoke City; Fulham 2-0 Stoke City & Liverpool 2-0 Stoke City.

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Recent Form (Last 5)

Birmingham City

Premiership: West Ham 0-1 Birmingham City
Premiership: Birmingham City 2-2 Manchester City
FA Cup: Birmingham City 3-2 Coventry City
Carling Cup: Birmingham City 3-1 West Ham
Premiership: Manchester United 5-0 Birmingham City

Stoke City

Premiership: Stoke City 3-2 Sunderland
Premiership: Liverpool 2-0 Stoke City
FA Cup: Wolves 0-1 Stoke City
Premiership: Fulham 2-1 Stoke City
FA Cup: Cardiff City 0-2 Stoke City

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2010/2011 Premiership Statistics

Birmingham City

League Position: 16th
Win-Draw-Lose: 5-12-7 (Home: 3-7-2)
Goal Difference: 24-33 (Home: 12-13)
Form: WDLDW (Home: DDLDD)
Top Scorer: Craig Gardner (5)

Stoke City

League Position: 9th
Win-Draw-Lose: 10-3-12 (Away: 3-1-8)
Goal Difference: 31-32 (Away: 12-18)
Form: LWLLW (Away: DWLLL)
Top Scorer: Robert Huth (6)

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Head-to-Head (Premiership: Last 5 Seasons)

2010/2011: Stoke City 3-2 Birmingham City

2009/2010: Stoke City 0-1 Birmingham City
2009/2010: Birmingham City 0-0 Stoke City

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Value Bet: Under 1.5 Goals @ 3.00 Bet365

Quite simply, Birmingham do not do goals. Neither does St Andrews for that matter, while Stoke aren’t a great deal better at this scoring lark either. Stoke’s 12 away goals is right up their with the very worst, while no team has mustered fewer goals at home this season than Birmingham City. It would be typical for this game to end 3-3, but that seems highly unlikely. Instead, I’d be more inclinded to stick a few quid on a dour 0-0 draw.

If the form book is right, this match will end without any goals. BlueSquare go 9/1 (10.00) on such a scenario, which seems mighty generous. Too good to be true I suppose.

West Ham United V Birmingham City

Sunday, 6th February – 13:30 (GMT)
Venue: Upton Park
TV coverage: Sky Sports HD1

West Ham United

Few managers have had more on their plate this season than Avram Grant, the Israeli having to put up with constant speculation in the media surrounding his future as West Ham manager as his was continually undermined by the club’s board. David Gold and David Sullivan, the co-owners of West Ham United FC, did finally hand the Israeli the vote of confidence he was in desperate need of and with the circus now having moved on, the club are beginning to reap instant benefits.

A combination of Grant and the players finally knowing where they stand along with a few fresh faces has revitalised the West Ham ranks, not least kick-started a mid-season revival which could turn out to be the turning point in their season. Among those who were brought in at the end of January was Robbie Keane, one of the Premier League’s greatest ever goal-getters, and the Republic of Ireland forward didn’t take long to make his presence felt. Keane scored West Ham’s second as the Hammers secured only their second away win of the season at Blackpool, Victor Obinna also popping up with a brace as Grant celebrated a 3-1 victory which lift his team off the bottom of the league. 

Unfortunately, despite how well they performed at Bloomfield Road against a Blackpool side who weren’t entirely at the races, the win wasn’t enough to lift the Hammers out of the relegation zone. A second successive win, however, would certainly do the trick and who better to do so against than Birmingham City, the team which agonisingly beat West Ham 4-3 on aggregate in the Semi-Final of the Carling Cup? Because of this very notion, they’ll be that extra bit of fire in their bellies, especially as victory over the Blues would relegate the Midlanders into the bottom three.

Avram Grant firmly believes that his team has turned a corner after collecting four points from their last two league games, and although his comments may seem a little hasty and careless, we believe the glum Israeli maybe on to something. We have to admit, we still aren’t overly keen on their defence, which is the worst in the entire Premier League, however Grant now has a potent forward-line which does have goals in it. Robbie Keane is a high-class player despite his age, Frederic Piquionne has been their only really regular source of goals this season with six to his name, while only last season Carlton Cole was attracting plenty of interest from some big clubs. But Victor Obinna really has come into his own in recent weeks, his two-goal haul on Wednesday – His second an absolute stunner – was his fifth in two games following his hat-trick last weekend in the FA Cup.

Within the blink of an eye, West Ham suddenly seem a different proposition. A team playing with far more confidence but with a great deal more belief to go with it. They firmly believe they can now dig themselves out of trouble, and I’m beginning to think so too. Of course, it is early days and there are still a number of hurdles that will trouble them, but there have been encouraging signs of late that the Hammers are ready to blast their way out of trouble.

Birmingham City

Alex McLeish, who is an under-fire Birmingham manager, may feel he holds all the aces after it was he who guided his team to the final of the Carling Cup at the expense of their relegation rivals West Ham. Ironically, though, it was the Scot who went into the deciding second leg under intense pressure following reports that the Birmingham board were willing to offload the former Scotland manager had he not delivered a dream date with Wembley. Whether those reports, or rumours, were true remains to be seen, however it doesn’t take a genius to come to the conclusion that Alex McLeish is a manager under immense pressure to bring home the bacon in the Premier League, a feat he has achieved just four times all season and just once in his last nine attempts.

As wins have come at a premium, McLeish’s stock has fallen dramatically. The 52-year old performed miracles last season when guiding the Midlands outfit to a top-ten finish, but it would appear the board aren’t interested in what the current Birmingham chief achieved last term but only his performance as manager in the present term, which, in fairness, hasn’t been great. The Scot has overseen a dire league campaign which has seen the Blues registered a meagre 24 points from a possible 69; their tally of four victories is the joint-lowest in the top-flight while only Wigan has scored fewer goals although no team has created fewer chances than a Birmingham side who have struggled to reach the heights they sailed last season.

It is unlikely that McLeish will be sacked before February 27th, the date of the Carling Cup final, though his position will become untenable should his team continue along their winless path. Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City at St Andrews was actually a creditable result, especially as in their last league encounter with a Manchester club they were hammered 5-0, losing at Old Trafford to Manchester United two weeks ago. The Blues are also through to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup as well, but it’s survival in the Premier League which is of utmost concern and at this moment in time, Alex McLeish’s side aren’t picking up sufficient points, nor shaping as though a win is just around the corner, to suggest they are going to fend off the relegation zone for too much longer. In the meantime, goal difference is the difference between Birmingham City occupying safe ground of a relegation spot – defeat at Upton Park on Sunday would result in another unpleasant spell inside the bottom three.

The Birmingham manager’s cause isn’t helped by a number of unavailable players, Obafemi Martins being one of those. The on-loan Nigerian still awaits his Visa and is highly unlikely to receive one before Sunday, while Barry Ferguson, Cameron Jerome and Roger Johnson are all doubts. Curtis Davies may start his first match for the Blues since joining from Aston Villa.

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Recent Form (Last 5)

West Ham United

Premiership: Blackpool 1-3 West Ham United
FA Cup: West Ham United 3-2 Nottingham Forest
Carling Cup: Birmingham City 3-1 West Ham United
Premiership: Everton 2-2 West Ham United
Premiership: West Ham United 0-3 Arsenal

Birmingham City

Premiership: Birmingham City 2-2 West Ham United
FA Cup: Birmingham City 3-2 Coventry City
Carling Cup: Birmingham City 3-1 West Ham United
Premiership: Manchester United 5-0 Birmingham City
Premiership: Birmingham City 1-1 Aston Villa

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2010/2011 Premiership Statistics

West Ham United

League Position: 18th
Win-Draw-Lose: 5-9-11 (Home: 3-4-5)
Goal Difference: 27-44 (Home: 14-19)
Top Scorer: Frederic Piquionne (6)
Form: WLLDW (Home: WLDWL)

Birmingham City

League Position: 17th
Win-Draw-Lose: 4-12-7 (Away: 1-5-5)
Goal Difference: 23-33 (Away: 11-20)
Top Scorer: Craig Gardner (5)
Form: LWDLD (Away: DDLWL)

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Head-to-Head (Last 5 Seasons):

2010/2011: Birmingham City 2-2 West Ham United

2009/2010: West Ham United 2-0 Birmingham City
2009/2010: Birmingham City 1-0 West Ham United

2007/2008: West Ham United 1-1 Birmingham City
2007/2008: Birmingham City 0-1 West Ham United

2005/2006: West Ham United 3-0 Birmingham City
2005/2006: Birmingham City 1-2 West Ham United

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Match Prediction: West Ham United to WIN – 2.10 WilliamHill

I do like West Ham’s chances on Sunday, in what is a definite relegation six-pointer, however their odds aren’t great and while I will side with Avram Grant’s improving Hammers, I wouldn’t write off Birmingham’s chances of grounding out a result at Upton Park.

The extra fire-power at West Ham will be a massive lure for punters, as it is for me. There is no an abundance of goals in this Hammers side, which is in stark contrast to the one at the start of the season, and with their tails wagging following their impressive 3-1 victory away at Blackpool on Wednesday, are difficult to overlook.

Defensively, I would still rate Birmingham as one of the best in the Premier League, so they are certainly capable of frustrating the hosts. They too recorded a morale boosting result in midweek, holding Man City to a 2-2 draw at St Andrews. Their form away from home is, however, alarming having won just once on their travels all season. The fact they were also leathered 5-0 by Manchester United in their most recent away outing only adds to the growing list of worrying negatives for Birmingham, who are a definite no-go at the present time, in my opinion.

Value Bet: Victor Obinna to Score – 3.60 Unibet

After five goals in his last two appearances, including a hat-trick in the FA Cup, Victor Obinna is playing like a player reborn. Full of confidence, no longer afraid to have a pop from distance, the Nigerian is worth a dabble in the scorer markets.

Match Odds:

West Ham United – 2.10 WilliamHill
Draw – 3.50 Bet365
Birmingham City – 4.00 StanJames

Birmingham City V Manchester City

Tuesday, 1st February – 19:45 (GMT)
Venue: St Andrews

Birmingham City

As Birmingham City prepare for their third game in seven days, all the fans can think about is February 27th – the day Birmingham do battle with Arsenal for the Carling Cup. However, in the meantime, it’s imperative the team put their date with Wembley to the back of their minds as on Wednesday, when they entertain high-flying Manchester City at St Andrews, after all the dust has settled from what has been an unforgettable week for the club, reality will kick in that their status as a top-flight club is well and truly under threat.

It isn’t often Birmingham qualify for a final, so it’s understandable that the fans are getting a little too excited about the prospect of silverware being brought home to St Andrews. The players, though, need to keep their feet on the ground as locking in their Premiership status is far more important than the League Cup – a competition few genuinely give the time of day. Just a point separates Birmingham from another uncomfortable stint inside the bottom three, so the immediate focus is on securing all three points on Wednesday despite the difficulty of the task ahead of them.

Under current manager Alex McLeish, Birmingham are often described as resilient, a determined group of players who always work tirelessly for the cause. They’ll need those exact qualities to shine on Wednesday if they’re to take anything from their home meeting with Manchester City. A dogged performance like the one they produced in the reverse encounter wouldn’t go a miss either, and if they are just as organised and industrious as they were at Eastlands earlier in the season when earning a hard-fought point courtesy of a 0-0 draw, then McLeish’s men have every chance of producing one of the shocks of the week providing they can maintain their impressive form in front of goal which has seen them score five goals in their previous two games, not of which were in the Premier League.

Wednesday will also be the first time Birmingham contend with a league fixture since their horror showing at Old Trafford a little over a week ago, when the Blues were hammered 5-0 by league leaders Manchester United in what was undoubtedly the poorest display we’ve seen from Alex McLeish’s normally rock-solid and resolute Birmingham team since the beginning of the 2009/2010 season. Fortunately, though, the team didn’t dwell on that result for too long and their response has been magnificent, even if it has come with a few bumps and scrapes. Back-to-back wins in the FA Cup and Carling Cup have left the team on cloud nine, while the signings of Curtis Davies and Obafemi Martins should also give the squad an added lift.

Manchester City

A little uncharacteristic maybe, but Man City were barely mentioned on transfer deadline day as the days of ‘kamikaze spending’, as Sir Alex Ferguson once put it, now seem a thing of the past at Eastlands. Instead, City chief Roberto Mancini has shown his faith in his current crop, a group which no longer includes the ridiculously over-paid Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz and Wayne Bridge; and with some of the dead-weight passed off and the arrival of Edin Dzeko providing further impotence to an already formidable forward set-up, Manchester City are beginning to fit the bill as they strive for to achieve their not-so long-term goal of UEFA Champions League football.

While it would seem the club are finally getting their act together as the prospect of Champions League football looms large – the club need to comply with UEFA Financial Fair Play rules if they’re to remain a long-term competitor at Europe’s top table – the team need to start getting their act together if they’re to seal their end of the deal. Consistency has been a character which still doesn’t ring true whenever City are mentioned, which is why the thought of top-tier European football is no formality, despite their healthy position in the table.

The Citizens find themselves third in the Barclay’s Premier League after 24 matches, a whole seven points clear of fifth-placed Spurs, so a top-four finish would almost appear straightforward. But if they continue to make heavy weather of the simplest of tasks, as they’ve been doing of late, then their healthy cushion could soon whittle down to the bare bones and before long City have a real fight on their hands with Tottenham Hotspur, as they did last season, and we all know who won that tasty encounter. And it’s fixtures just like Wednesday’s trip to Birmingham City, a difficult assignment on paper no doubt but one Mancini and his team need to pass with flying colours if they are to convince themselves more than anyone else that they are capable of achieving their goal, as the Eastlands outfit have come unstuck in too many similar scenarios this season.

Silverware is also on the agenda for the club, though they seem content on driving all the punters away from backing such a scenario. Two successive ties with lower league opposition have seen City struggle to progress in the FA Cup, a competition certainly worth winning and would at least be a start as the club go in search of global domination. City needed a replay to see off Leicester City in the Third Round, and they’ll need to repeat the trick if they’re to make an appearance in the Fifth Round as they were held by League One’s Notts County at the weekend. Couple their embarrassing outings with the aforementioned sides with their 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in their last league outing, and I suppose with their near-capitulation at home to Wolves when leading 4-1 at Eastlands only to win 4-3, and doubts may well have started to set in, especially in defence as Joe Hart and his defence have now gone five games without keeping a clean sheet.

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Last 5 Results

Birmingham City

FA Cup: Birmingham City 3-2 Coventry City
Carling Cup: Birmingham City 3-1 West Ham United (after Extra-Time)
Premiership: Manchester United 5-0 Birmingham City
Premiership: Birmingham City 1-1 Aston Villa
Carling Cup: West Ham United 2-1 Birmingham City

Manchester City

FA Cup: Notts County 1-1 Manchester City
Premiership: Aston Villa 1-0 Manchester City
FA Cup: Manchester City 4-2 Leicester City
Premiership: Manchester City 4-3 Wolves
FA Cup: Leicester City 2-2 Manchester City

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2010/2011 Premiership Statistics

Birmingham City

League Position: 17th
Win-Draw-Lose: 4-11-7 (Home: 3-6-2)
Goal Difference: 21-31 (Home: 10-11)
Leading Goalscorer: Craig Gardner (4)
Form: DLWDL (Home: WDDLD)

Manchester City

League Position: 3rd
Win-Draw-Lose: 13-6-5 (Away: 6-3-3)
Goal Difference: 37-20 (Away: 19-10)
Leading Goalscorer: Carlos Tevez (14)
Form: WWDWL (Away: DWWDL)

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Head-to-Head (Last 5 Seasons):

2010/2011: Manchester City 0-0 Birmingham City

2009/2010: Manchester City 5-1 Birmingham City
2009/2010: Birmingham City 0-0 Manchester City

2007/2008: Birmingham City 3-1 Manchester City
2007/2008: Manchester City 1-0 Birmingham City

2005/2006: Manchester City 4-1 Birmingham City
2005/2006: Birmingham City 1-2 Manchester City

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Pointers

Birmingham City

- The Blues are seeking their third successive victory in all competitions, however they are without a win in their last two league games.

- Birmingham have won just one of their last eight Premiership fixtures, and just two of their last fourteen.

- Have lost just one of their last seven matches in the Premier League, a run which includes a number of outstanding results: Beating Chelsea 1-0, Drawing 1-1 with both Tottenham and Man Utd.

- Have drawn the most amount of games at home in the league this season along with Wigan Athletic (6), while their last three home draws have all finished 1-1.

- No team in the top-flight has scored fewer goals at home this term than Birmingham City (10).

- Birmingham have won only one of the previous eight league contests with City, their last back in 2008 (3-1), before Sheikh Mansour and his millions revamped the Citizens.

- Alex McLeish’s side have conjured just one goal in their last three meetings with Man City, also failing to score in three of their last five contests.

Manchester City

- Are without a win in their last two games after a 1-1 draw with Notts County in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup at the weekend on top of losing 1-0 away to Aston Villa in the league ten days ago.

- City’s 1-0 loss away at Aston Villa in their last league fixture ended a run of seven games without defeat in all competitions for Roberto Mancini’s men.

- Haven’t won any of their previous four away matches, a disconcerting run of results which includes draws with lower league opposition in the FA Cup.

- Carlos Tevez accounts for just over a third of City’s away league goals (7/19).

- The Citizens have lost just one of their last eight meetings with Birmingham City in the league, however, in six trips to St Andrews during the Premier League era, Manchester City have won only twice.

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Team News

Birmingham City – Alex McLeish is still without his defensive rock, Scott Dann, while Roger Johnson is now also a doubt after the centre-half picked up a calf injury during his side’s comeback victory over Coventry City in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup on Saturday. Cameron Jerome is back in the fray following injury, while David Bentley will continue on the right-hand-side of midfield following his loan move to St Andrews from Tottenham. Martin Jiranek could deputise at centre-half for the injured Dann, although Curtis Davies could also make his debut at centre-half. Obafemi Martins may need a few training sessions before he’s consider for first-team action following his loan move from Russian side Rubin Kazan.

Manchester City – Roberto Mancini only has a couple of absentee’s, with Micah Richards joining Adam Johnson and Mario Balotelli on the sidelines. Pablo Zabaleta should get the nod over Jerome Boateng to deputise at right-back. After missing the Fourth Round clash with Notts County at the weekend, Vincent Kompany, Nigel De Jong and Carlos Tevez are among those expected to be drafted straight back into the starting XI, as should David Silva who played the remaining 30 minutes.

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Match Odds:

Birmingham City – 4.60 VictorChandler
Draw – 3.60 StanJames
Manchester City – 1.91 PaddyPower

Birmingham City V West Ham United

Wednesday, 26th January – 19:45 (GMT)
Venue: St Andrews
TV Coverage: Sky Sports HD1

Birmingham City

On one hand, Birmingham manager Alex McLeish will be delighted for his team to get away from all the doom and gloom of a disappointing league campaign which sees the Blues struggling near the foot of the table and very much in the midst of a fight for survival. Then again, well aware that he doesn’t boast the strongest of squads when it comes to strength in depth, the Scot would have ideally liked to have handed some of his key figures some much needed respite following what has been a typically arduous festive period, however their hectic schedule means that isn’t a viable option.

After their Carling Cup Semi-Final second leg with West Ham on Wednesday, Birmingham entertain Coventry City in the fourth-round of the FA Cup in what will be their third game in a week – their most recent a morale-bashing 5-0 defeat away at Manchester United in the league. If it hasn’t already, fatigue will begin to set in and you get the feeling Alex McLeish will need to make sacrifices over the forthcoming weeks, and by that I mean he may need to make wholesale changes in either Wednesday’s Carling Cup encounter or their weekend tie with Coventry in order to preserve the conditioning and availability of influential players. I would hazard a guess at the FA Cup slipping down the club’s list of priorities, as the Blues are potentially just 90 minutes away from booking their place in their first major final since losing out to Liverpool in the 2000/2001 Worthington Cup, now named the Carling Cup.

Unfortunately, despite doing some digging, we aren’t entirely sure whether McLeish will name his strongest possible eleven on Wednesday. However, the Blues chief may have had his hand forced following comments from club chairman Peter Pannu regarding how disappointing McLeish’s signings have been during his, what we would define as successful tenure as manager. A point to prove perhaps for the former Rangers and Scotland boss? An appearance at Wembley in the final of the Carling Cup would certainly go some way to silencing his critics.

Speaking of McLeish’s signings, David Bentley is ineligible after featuring for his parent club, Tottenham Hotspur, in the earlier rounds. Defensive stalwart Scott Dann is the only other notable absentee for Birmingham, though the Blues do at least have home comforts to fall back on. The St Andrews faithful has seen their team lose just two of their previous 32 competitive matches on home soil, as well as four wins on the spin in the Carling Cup this season over Rochdale (3-2), MK Dons (3-1), Brentford (1-1P) and arch-rivals Aston Villa (2-1), though one of those was via a penalty shoot-out.

West Ham United

Love him or loath him, Avram Grant has an almost unrivaled record when it comes to leading clubs to finals. The Israeli guided Chelsea to the 2007/2008 UEFA Champions League final in Moscow, while two years later he took already relegated Portsmouth to the 2009/2010 FA Cup final against all the odds – However, the 55-year old was unsuccessful on both occasions and still awaits his first piece of silverware in English football.

With speculation over his future at the club having hit fever point in recent weeks, this may be Grant’s last opportunity to advertise his credentials as a manager, not least to continue his trend of having guided every club he has managed in English football to a final. Fortunately for him his Hammers side are well placed to maintain the trend, goals from Mark Noble and Carlton Cole at Upton Park two weeks ago handing West Ham a 2-1 aggregate lead meaning a first final in over twenty years beckons for the club provided Avram Grant’s men avoid defeat at St Andrews, a ground they’ve failed to win at on their two previous visits.

While the aggregate score would suggest West Ham are the favourites to book a Wembley date with Arsenal on February 27th, their away record this season would imply that Grant has a mammoth task on his hands. In the Premier League, West Ham have only won one of twelve away matches this season – Fulham 1-3 West Ham, losing half of those, and have an away goal difference in the league of -14 (10-24). However, the Hammers do at least arrive at St Andrews with some away reassurances having lost just one of their last four away encounters, though they haven’t kept a clean sheet away from home all season, whatever the competition.

Well aware that each game could be his last should the result not be to the board’s satisfaction, Avram Grant will have no qualms in naming the strongest team possible at St Andrews, a game the Hammers only need to avoid defeat in to qualify for the final. He will, though, have to put together a starting XI which doesn’t contain the suspended Victor Obinna or Frederic Piquionne, while Carlton Cole is nursing a knee injury and may not recover in time. On the plus side, Scott Parker will return to add some steel to a midfield which simply must hold its own in the center of the park if the Hammers are to avoid being overrun in an area of the pitch where games are so often won and lost.

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Pointers

Birmingham City

- The club’s last appearance in a major final was in this very competition nearly a decade ago, losing out to Liverpool on penalties in what was the Worthington Cup back in 2001.

- Birmingham have lost just two of their last 32 competitive matches at St Andrews.

- Birmingham have scored two or more goals in any one match in just two of their last nine competitive matches, neither of those coming at St Andrews.

West Ham United

- West Ham manager Avram Grant has made it to two major finals during his short managerial career, the 2007/2008 UEFA Champions League final in Moscow with Chelsea and the 2009/2010 FA Cup with Portsmouth, the Israeli losing both.

- The Hammers have won just one of their last 30 away games in the Premier League, just three of their last 33 away matches in all competitions.

- Have an immaculate record in the cups this season under Avram Grant, the Hammers having won all five of their matches in the Carling Cup, albeit one of those with the assistance of extra-time, and one FA Cup tie.

Head-to-Head

- In five Premiership encounters at St Andrews since 2003, Birmingham have only won one of them compared to West Ham’s two – Lee Bowyer with the only goal of the game when Birmingham won 1-0 last season.

- West Ham were victorious in the most recent League Cup clash, Joe Cole on the scoresheet that night as the Hammers recorded a 3-2 win at St Andrews back in 1999.

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Match Prediction: Draw – 3.60 BetFred

It’s simple for Birmingham: Win the second leg outright and you’re through to next month’s final to face Arsenal. Anything less and the Hammers will do their victory parade on Birmingham turf. Only a 2-1 scoreline in favour of Birmingham will take this tie into extra-time, possibly even penalties should neither score thereafter.

Don’t get me wrong, St Andrews has been something of a fortress for Birmingham City ever since their return to the Premiership for the 2009/2010 season (You’ll find a couple of eye-catching statistics in the ‘Pointers’ section). However, the Hammers have shown some real grit and determination in recent weeks during a period where their manager has found his tenure as manager hanging by the slimmest of threads.

Being without Victor Obinna and Frederic Piquionne, the latter the club’s leading goalscorer this season, does hinder their chances, however the return of Scott Parker was telling for us. In a match where West Ham require players with heart rather than an eye for the goal, Parker really does lead by example with his workmanlike attitude. I expect the likes of Parker, Upson and Robert Green to shine on the night as Grant continues to defy not just all the odds, but adversity.

Value Bet: West Ham to Qualify – 1.67 SkyBet

Match Odds:

Birmingham City – 2.10 Bet365 (General)
Draw – 3.60 BetFred
West Ham United – 3.60 VictorChandler

Manchester United V Birmingham City

Saturday, 22nd January – 15:00 (GMT)
Venue: Old Trafford

Manchester United

There are few better at working towards a common goal than Manchester United, so the fact United sit atop of the Barclay’s Premier League couple with having gone the entire season thus far without losing, only makes them a formidable force heading into the what should be another barn-storming finish from the Red Devils.

Since the middle of November, only two teams have managed to stop a relentless United team in their tracks. One of those was Tottenham, the North London outfit holding Sir Alex’s men to a 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane last Sunday in what was actually a satisfactory result for the temperamental Scot, who had his patience tested after full-back Rafael was shown a harsh second yellow card which means the Brazilian is now ruled out of Saturday’s contest with Birmingham. The second team was Birmingham at St Andrews just three weeks ago.

Although those two small blips occurred outside of Manchester, United have found recent meetings with the Blues ‘testing’ to say the very least. The previous two encounters at Old Trafford have both finished 1-0 in United’s favour, Wayne Rooney scoring the winner last season. However, while Birmingham have stuck to their task of defending valiantly tremendously well in recent visits, United still boast an outrageously impressive head-to-head record against the Blues, having won all six of the previous Premier League meetings at Old Trafford without conceding.

The fact Birmingham have never scored a Premier League goal at Old Trafford is actually a poignant statistic, seeing as United have secured six of their eleven wins at home this season with a clean sheet. Throw into the mix a couple of statistics I read up on Yahoo Sport; United have conceded the less shots on goal and Birmingham having had fewer attempts on target than any other side in the top-flight, and United to beat Birmingham City for the seventh time in a row without conceding suddenly becomes a delightful little bet.

As bizarre as it is, West Brom are the only team this season not to have found Manchester United at Old Trafford too hot to handle. Everyone else, including the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham, have all been dispatched and we have every confidence that Birmingham will follow suit. Wayne Rooney should return to wreak havoc on a defence he has scored four goals against during his career, meanwhile Dimitar Berbatov has scored 12 of his 14 league goals at Old Trafford this and coupled with the strongest home defence in the league, United really should make mincemeat of Birmingham.

Man Utd Fact: The Red Devils have gone in at half-time with a lead in each of their eleven games at Old Trafford this season, although only once, against West Brom, have they failed to hang onto their advantage.

Birmingham City

Goals from Alex Hleb and Scott Dann against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road helped Birmingham banish their away voodoo of being the only team in the Premier League not to have won an away fixture this season at that point, however any chance of them recording their first set of back-to-back away wins in the Premier League appear slim at best considering their very next away encounter is against Manchester United at Old Trafford, where Birmingham have never even scored a Premier League goal let alone registered a point.

Six previous visit to Manchester for a clash with the Red Devils in the Premiership has left Birmingham with burnt fingers, despite their best efforts in putting up tern resistance. And resisted they have, as their last two trips has seen them come away with two narrow losses which coupled with their recent upturn in away form, having beaten Blackpool and Millwall in the last two weeks alone, should at least give the team some comfort and food for thought in a fixture which down the years they’ve dreaded, and still very much do.

While Alex Mcleish will try his best to convince folk like us that he and his team are focusing solely on Saturday’s trip to Old Trafford, it’s almost impossible, particularly those of foreign descent in the Birmingham dressing room, for them not to have at least one eye on their midweek semi-final clash with West Ham in the Carling Cup. In fact, had McLeish not found himself in desperate need of the points, with his team languishing near the foot of the table and vulnerable to spending another week inside the bottom three should they suffer their seventh league defeat of the season, might have rested some of his key players with Tuesday’s clash in mind. After all, few expect them to take anything away from their visit to Old Trafford. Their record there speaks for itself.

Unfortunately for McLeish, circumstances dictate and in this instance the Scot will have little option but to name his strongest eleven, as Premier League points are far more important than a Carling Cup final at Wembley, despite how glamorous that may sound to the fans. Centre-half Scott Dann, who has been a rock alongside Roger Johnson, has been ruled out with a hamstring injury though Cameron Jerome should return to lead the attack despite missing last Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa. David Bentley will make his second appearance for the club in the absence of set-piece specialist Sebastian Larsson.

Birmingham Fact: The Blues have scored in seven of their ten away matches this season, one less than amount of times Birmingham have failed to score at Old Trafford in the Premier League (6).
 

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Last 5 Results

Manchester United

Premiership: Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Manchester United
FA Cup: Manchester United 1-0 Liverpool
Premiership: Manchester United 2-1 Stoke City
Premiership: West Brom 1-2 Manchester United
Premiership: Birmingham City 1-1 Manchester United

Birmingham City

Premiership: Birmingham City 1-1 Aston Villa
FA Cup: Millwall 1-4 Birmingham City
Carling Cup: West Ham 2-1 Birmingham City
Premiership: Blackpool 1-2 Birmingham city
Premiership: Birmingham City 0-3 Arsenal

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Head-to-Head (Last 5 Seasons)

2010/2011: Birmingham City 1-1 Manchester United

2009/2010: Birmingham City 1-1 Manchester United
2009/2010: Manchester United 1-0 Birmingham City

2007/2008: Manchester United 1-0 Birmingham City
2007/2008: Birmingham City 0-1 Manchester United

2005/2006: Manchester United 3-0 Birmingham City
2005/2006: Birmingham City 2-2 Manchester United

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2010/2011 Premiership Statistics

Manchester United

League Position: 1st
Win-Draw-Lose: 12-9-0 (Home: 10-1-0)
Goal Difference: 43-19 (Home: 29-7)
Form: WDWWD (Home: WWWWW)
Top Scorer: Dimitar Berbatov (14)

Birmingham City

League Position: 16th
Win-Draw-Lose: 4-11-6 (Away: 1-5-4)
Goal Difference: 21-26 (Away: 11-15)
Form: LDLWD (Away: LDDLW)
Top Scorer: Craig Gardner (4)

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Betting Odds & Tips

Match Prediction: Manchester United to WIN – 1.25 William Hill

Birmingham’s record away to United in the Premier League is dire to say the very least, imperious if you’re looking at it from a United perspective. In six previous visits to Old Trafford for a Premiership encounter, Birmingham have failed to score even once, losing all six to NIL. Formidable stuff!

The Blues struggle to create chances at the best of times so up against a Scrooge-like United defence, another baren outing would appear on the card for Alex McLeish’s charges, who will work tirelessly for the cause, as they generally do, but lack any cutting edge in the final third do genuinely challenge the hosts for a share of the available spoils.

When United get themselves in front, they’re so difficult to peg back. Sir Alex’s men remain the pacesetters with games in hand over all their rivals. They’ve been almost untouchable at Old Trafford this season, winning ten of eleven on home soil, and with Wayne Rooney getting closer to his form of old, albeit not in the same scoring vein, and Dimitar Berbatov producing his finer displays this season at the Theatre of Dreams, not to mention the evergreen form of Ryan Giggs and Edwin Van Der Saar, it should be another routine win for the Premier League kings on Saturday, their seventh in a row at home over Birmingham City.

Value Bet: Manchester United to WIN to NIL – 1.73 SkyBet

The Red Devils have won all of their six previous home encounters with Birmingham City in the Premier League without conceding.

Match Odds:

Manchester United – 1.22 William Hill (General)
Draw – 7.00 Victor Chandler
Birmingham City – 17.00 Victor Chandler

Birmingham City V Aston Villa

Sunday, 16th January – 12:00 (GMT)
Venue: St Andrews
TV Coverage: Sky Sports HD1

Birmingham City

You have to wonder just how much of a distraction will Birmingham’s Carling Cup commitments be on their immediate plans to avoid the drop. The Blues, who are just a point above the relegation and in danger of enduring another spell inside the bottom three should the succumb to defeat at the weekend, have the alluring sight of Wembley on their minds but know they must overturn a 2-1 deficit if they’re to book their rightful place in that final next month. However, securing their Premiership status should be of utmost importance for Alex McLeish, whom named his strongest possible eleven as his side were beaten at Upton Park during the week.

With Birmingham still going in all competitions, there is rarely a moments rest bite for Alec McLeish’s charges. A resounding 4-1 win over Millwall at The Den in the third-round of the FA Cup last Saturday meant they progressed into the fourth-round, although Tuesday’s Carling Cup semi-final defeat at West Ham means McLeish has to name a similarly strong team in the second leg. Sooner or later, fatigue will creep up on them, and in a derby encounter they’ve now gone seven top-flight meetings without winning, perhaps Birmingham’s hectic schedule will be enough to put many punters off them this weekend against a Villa side who have won on their previous three league visits to St Andrews.

Following Tuesday’s setback in the Carling Cup, a competition Birmingham have now set their sights firmly on winning, the fans were in need of a lift and McLeish may well have remedied that situation. David Bentley has joined on loan until the end of the season from Tottenham Hotspur, a player with an exceptional delivery on him and someone who will bolster a pretty ordinary midfield with some much need creativity. Just as well really as Birmingham have struggled to carve our opportunities all season, but with Alex Hleb working his magic on the opposite flank, Cameron Jerome and Nikola Zigic should have more to contend with up front than previously.

We all know just how well Birmingham can defend in matches, their Achilles heel has been their lack of potency up front. To plunder just ten goals on home soil is pretty pathetic. In fact, Birmingham haven’t surpassed the one-goal marker in any of their previous four clashes at home, while the 0-0 draw they grounded out back at Villa Park took their barren spell in front of goal against the Villains to over three-and-a-half hours without scoring in a Second City derby. Will David Bentley prove the solution to their scoring problems?

Aston Villa

It’s about time a club stuck to their guns and kept faith in a manager they appointed even through the bad spells in a relationship. And if this was a relationship, the two parties would be have filed for divorce way before now, with Houllier’s honeymoon period at the club not lasting long whatsoever. In fact, since guiding Villa to successive wins immediately on the back of his appointment, his charges have gone on to register a miserly two wins in the Premier League, and subsequently slide down the league where they now find themselves occupying one of three relegation spots.

Gerard Houllier is pinning his hopes on one of two factors injecting some much needed optimism into his demoralised ranks. The first being their 3-1 victory over Sheffield United in the third-round of the FA Cup last weekend, a win which was tarnished courtesy of Ashley Young’s red card meaning he’ll sit out Sunday’s Second City derby with Birmingham City, and the imminent signing of French international Jean Makoun, with Aston Villa agreeing a £5million fee with Lyon for the industrious midfielder. Houllier has often relied on the exuberance of youth providing some steel in the midfield, but in Makoun they’ll have a tireless worker with an abundance of experience.

Villa have an impressive head-to-head record with their Midland rivals and it’s down to Gerard Houllier to inspire the Villa dressing room as relinquishing their mental stranglehold over Birmingham really would be a damaging blow, and also another new low for a club and it’s supporters who aren’t used to tasting so many defeats. The 0-0 stalemate back at Villa Park was a disappointing outcome for Villa but it did at least stretch their unbeaten run in the Second City derby to seven matches, although that doesn’t include competitions outside of the Premier League, which is just as well as Birmingham would then have the edge, after the Blues were victorious when the two sides clashed at St Andrews in a recent Carling Cup encounter.

Based on the head-to-head alone, Villa appear an outstanding bet on paper. However, their form overall has been drastic to say the least. Their 3-1 win away at Sheffield United last weekend helped eased some of the intense pressure which had surrounding Houllier following a wretched string of results. Just one win from their last eight league matches simply isn’t good enough, and to see that six of those were defeats is appalling. There have been reports of dressing room disharmony and the results under Houllier reflect this.

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Last 5 Results

Birmingham City

Carling Cup: West Ham 2-1 Birmingham City
FA Cup: Millwall 1-4 Birmingham City
Premier League: Blackpool 1-2 Birmingham City
Premier League: Birmingham City 0-3 Arsenal
Premier League: Birmingham City 1-1 Manchester United

Aston Villa

FA Cup: Sheffield United 1-3 Aston Villa
Premier League: Aston Villa 0-1 Sunderland
Premier League: Chelsea 3-3 Aston Villa
Premier League: Manchester City 4-0 Aston Villa
Premier League: Aston Villa 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur

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Premier League Head-to-Head (Last 5 Seasons)

2010/2011: Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

2009/2010: Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City
2009/2010: Birmingham City 0-1 Aston Villa

2007/2008: Aston Villa 5-1 Birmingham City
2007/2008: Birmingham City 1-2 Aston Villa

2005/2006: Aston Villa 3-1 Birmingham City
2005/2006: Birmingham City 0-1 Aston Villa

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2010/2011 Premier League Statistics

Birmingham City

League Position: 15th
Win-Draw-Lose: 4-10-6 (Home: 3-5-2)
Goal Difference: 20-25 (Home: 9-10)
Form: DLDLW (Home: DWDDL)
Top Scorer: Craig Gardner (4)

Aston Villa

League Position: 18th
Win-Draw-Lose: 5-6-10 (Away: 1-2-7)
Goal Difference: 23-38 (Away: 8-25)
Form: WLLDL (Away: DLLLD)
Top Scorer: Stewart Downing (5)

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Betting Odds & Tips

Match Prediction: Birmingham City to WIN – 2.50 WilliamHill

Probably because he’s only been at the club at a matter of months, but you get the feeling Houllier isn’t at all happy with the squad he’s inherited and that he’s still unsure as to what his strongest eleven is. There have been numerous reports of dressing room discontent, the Frenchman rarely names the same team twice, and without some stability and continuity, of course the results aren’t going to come your way as regularly as you would like.

In stark contrast is Alex McLeish, who gives everyone confidence that he believes his every team he puts out there. They are incredibly strong at home, just two league defeats at St Andrews all season, which is more than can be said for their opponent’s who have lost seven of their ten away encounters in the league this season, as well as three of their last four and five of their previous seven, the majority of those without even finding the back of the net.

It has been a long time since Birmingham last registered a Premier League victory over the Villains, nearly six years, but they’ve arguably never been in a better shape, physically and mentally, to better such a dismal head-to-head. Their defence is rock-solid, almost impenetrable at times, the midfield works their socks off, as does Cameron Jerome up front. They did suffer a minor setback on Tuesday in the Carling Cup but nothing that cannot be fixed in the return leg back at St Andrews, where we expect Birmingham to run out worthy winners in Sunday’s Second City derby.

Match Odds:

Birmingham City – 2.50 WilliamHill
Draw – 3.25 StanJames
Aston Villa – 3.25 Boylesports 

West Ham V Birmingham City

Tuesday, 11th January – 19:45 (GMT)
LIVE on BBC2

West Ham

Hammers boss Avram Grant is determined to ignore all the media vultures who have spent the last month circling Upton Park waiting for what would appear the worst kept secret in English football to come to fruition, with reports suggesting the West Ham board will hold a meeting on Wednesday to ultimately decide Grant’s fate, and whether or not to go through with the plans which claim David Gold and David Sullivan, co-owners of West Ham United, are set to replace the Israeli with former Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce.

You cannot help but sympathise with Grant, especially should the inevitable happen on Wednesday. The board handed him a Christmas ultimatum of winning at least one of either league meetings with Blackburn, Fulham or Everton and he meet the criteria, and then some. Two wins and two draws over the festive period and in the New Year had seen the Hammers rise as high as 15th in the table, but their mid-season revival came to an abrupt halt courtesy of their heaviest defeat of the season less than a week ago, when Newcastle thumped Grant’s charges 5-0 at St James’ as the Hammers’ previously prosperous league position of 15th suddenly turned disastrous once more, with the club once again find themselves rooted to the foot of the league.

It would appear the board are eager to see the back of Grant, though the Israeli is frustrating the two David’s in that he continues to pull rabbits from the hat just at the precise moment Gold and Sullivan are prepared to put the former Chelsea and Portsmouth gaffer out of his misery. On Saturday, Grant guided West Ham into the Fourth Round of the FA Cup thanks to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Barnsley, while we shouldn’t forget that it was the same manager who has masterminded this mazy run into the semi-finals of the Caring Cup, where the club are now just two games away from appearing in a major final, and it would maintained this trend of Grant having appear in a final at every club he’s managed.

Because Grant will know he’s under pressure to deliver a positive outcome on Tuesday, he’ll name a very strong side in a bid to make Wednesday’s boardroom meeting as complicated and as stressful as humanley possible. And if he can inspire his team to produce a performance similar to that which saw the Hammers spank Premier League pacesetters Manchester United 4-0 at Upton Park in the previous round, then it would take something extraordinary from their opponents to stop West Ham from putting one foot in the final.

The morale inside the West Ham dressing room shouldn’t be a problem, nor should there be any lack of confidence following an impressive run of form which has seen West Ham lose just one of their last six competitive matches. Furthermore, the Hammers are unbeaten on home soil in their last three games in all competitions, including victories over Barnsley and Wolves, while Avram Grant will feel his team have the slight edge mentally after they held Birmingham to a 2-2 draw on the road earlier in the season in a game where the Hammers were 2-0 up at half-time and should have gone on to clinch maximum points.

Birmingham City

In stark contrast to their semi-final opponent’s build-up, Birmingham’s pre-match preparations have gone smoothly, without any hiccups. In fact Alex McLeish will have virtually a full-strength squad to pick from for Tuesday’s Carling Cup clash with rock-bottom West Ham, while, if the paperwork goes through on time, McLeish may even have the luxury of handing David Bentley his début.

After a torrid first half to the season which seen Birmingham finish the year inside the relegation zone, Alex McLeish suddenly found some Scottish courage as soon as 2011 burst into life. All of sudden, Birmingham are playing with a bit of zest about them, with more intent and passion, particularly in the attacking third of the pitch. No longer are the Blues focusing solely on defending parity, they’re actually interested in winning matches for a change. Alex Hleb now resembles something close to the player which earned so many rave rewards when at Arsenal, with the Belarus international weaving his magic out on the touchline, while seeing Birmingham start games with two up front certainly is no eye-sore, although, saying that, Nikola Zigic is no Michael Buble.

We’re chuffed to bits to see Alex McLeish have a change of heart, with his previously all-out negative tactics tweaked somewhat. The same resolute defence still makes an appearance, although the same one which hasn’t kept a clean sheet in any competition in nearly two months, but offensively Birmingham are more of a threat and that makes them a dangerous proposition for the punters, particularly as they’ve hit a purple patch just at the time when West Ham have also hit a rich vein of form. Back-to-back wins within the space of a week – beating Blackpool away from home 2-1 before doubling up with a 4-1 rout of Millwall in the FA Cup – will have done the spirit of the dressing room the world of good, a dressing room McLeish had his concerns about a little over a week ago. It’s amazing what a couple of wins can do to a team, in this case breathe a fresh lease of life into each and every player.

So Birmingham are aiming to complete the hat-trick, a unique treble haul as well as victory on Tuesday at West Ham’s Upton Park would be their third success on the spin, all in different competitions. It’s a silly feat, one Alex McLeish and his team will care less about, with the opportunity to make their first appearance in a major final since 2001, fittingly in this very competition. Unfortunately, however, the Blues were losers that day, losing to Liverpool on penalties. The objective is to go one better this time around, but they must first despatch of a rejuvenated West Ham before they can even start contemplating of Wembley and entertaining the prospect of a major final.

Ironically, this despite our rave review of Birmingham’s new found love for attacking football and scoring goals, Alex McLeish will probably air on the side of caution a little more than they have done of late on Tuesday night. After all, this match will be settled in the second leg and the final leg will be played at Birmingham’s St Andrews, a fortress for the Blues as they’ve suffered just two defeats their in 25 league matches. However, with Birmingham recently putting their away voodoo to bed with successive away wins over Blackpool and Millwall, no longer can their abysmal away record be highlighted as a possible negative, at least not for this specific match, as right now Birmingham are bang in form on the road.

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Carling Cup Results

West Ham

Second Round: West Ham 1-0 Oxford United
Third Round: Sunderland 1-2 West Ham
Fourth Round: West Ham 3-1 Stoke City (AET)
Quarter-Final: West Ham 4-0 Manchester United

Birmingham City

Second Round: Birmingham City 3-2 Rochdale
Third Round: Birmingham City 3-1 MK Dons
Fourth Round: Birmingham City 1-1 Brentford (Birmingham won 4-3 on penalties)
Quarter-Final: Birmingham City 2-1 Aston Villa

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Last 5 Matches

West Ham

FA Cup: West Ham 2-0 Barnsley
Premier League: Newcastle United 5-0 West Ham
Premier League: West Ham 2-0 Wolves
Premier League: West Ham 1-1 Everton
Premier League: Fulham 1-3 West Ham

Birmingham City

FA Cup: Millwall 1-4 Birmingham City
Premier League: Blackpool 1-2 Birmingham City
Premier League: Birmingham City 0-3 Arsenal
Premier League: Birmingham City 1-1 Manchester United
Premier League: Wolves 1-0 Birmingham City

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Match Prediction: Draw – 3.40 SkyBet

On form alone, I reckon Birmingham would just edge it. Back-to-back away wins is solid form heading over to Upton Park, where the hosts have conjured just six wins all season, in all competitions. However, this is a massive game for Avram Grant and West Ham, possibly make-or-break when you consider that less than 24 hours later the West Ham owners will meet to decide the Israeli’s fate.

Over Christmas the under-fire Hammers boss was under immense pressure to deliver results, with speculation suggesting he needed to pick up points else he was out the door by the time 2011 kicked into life, and his players responded to his rallying calls with just one defeat in six games. Can they do it all over again? Of course, although, the pressure is well and truly on the both manager and players to mastermind a winning result on Tuesday in the knowledge that getting a result in the second leg over at St Andrews will be difficult.

Birmingham have found their scoring touch of late but we’re expecting a more conservative approach to the match from Alex McLeish, who wouldn’t turn his nose up at a draw. Whether the same outcome would be viewed as positive by the West Ham owners remains to be seen.

Match odds:

West Ham – 2.25 Bet365
Draw – 3.40 SkyBet
Birmingham City – 3.50 VictorChandler