Championship betting tip: Birmingham City - Ipswich Town

football betting tips -
 
 
Championship: Birmingham City - Ipswich Town

 

I previewed City's last start a home game with Hull City, ahead of which I wrote about the shift in attitude at the club, their new coach and desperate need to start winning ......
 
Having spent most of this season bad mouthing Blues , their transfer policy and head coach Steve Cotterill, I spoke about them in more positive terms following his dismissal and their last home game..............
 
 

City have lost six in all competitions and conceded 16 goals and it should have been more, ahead of a 2-0 home loss to fellow strugglers Barnsley I wrote ......

Notes on Brentford- Birmingham City from Tuesday night are reproduced below the "good luck" sign off, the mighty, mighty Bees won 5-0, coming on strong after the 30 minute mark and recording 28 attempts , 22 inside the box and could/should have scored eight, missing a number of really good opportunities. City were not actually that bad early, pretty competitive for that opening third of the game, but as soon as the home side worked out they could pretty much pass the ball inside the full backs at will, it was game over. Brentford were back to their best and the quality of opposition was pretty much irrelevant (at Championship level) once things clicked. If Barnsley had a scout at the game and surely they did (they also play the Bees soon) they would have learned a LOT about issues that I doubt City can sort out in four days, possibly four months !

 

They followed that up with a loss to Nottingham Forest and it was goodbye Steve Cotterill ( see below) and it was a long time coming. We should never take pleasure in a dismissal, but he was not up to the task, however, I have no issue with him refusing to "walk" as I suspect it will be a long time before he gets a position above League 1 level.
 
Gary Monk has taken over on a long term contract, good luck with seeing that out at this club, but at least it guarantees a good pay off if things do not work out. To be honest, it looks a decent appointment and City have good players, just few able to play in positions they have been asked to. Not sure what he can sort out in three days/ one session, but he knew he was getting the job 7 days ago apparently, so has been able to watch and plan and knows Boro well, having been in charge there between June-December this season, before being replaced by Tony Pulis. When he left, Boro were three points off the playoff spots, now they are two adrift, but were 5 short three games ago, is that progress ? Sure that Monk will be motivated and should know his opponents almost as well as their new manager, maybe better.
 

Boro and Tony Pulis feels like a match made in hell for any football purist who has seen Middlesbrough play in the last three seasons and knows how the head coach usually sets his teams up, but they have taken 7 points and scored 9 goals in their last three starts, so hard to know what to expect from them.
 

I would quite like City at these odds if Monk had longer, but he needs to stop the rot and they travel to second placed Cardiff City at the weekend and it will surely be easier to get a result today. At home under the midweek St Andrews lights they are 3-1-1, 3-1-8 otherwise which also offers encouragement and the visitors have not played a midweek road game since October, so at all under Pulis and they are different to Saturday games, with a break in schedule and a long day to fill if you travel the day before, which is usual for an away game, or a day of the game journey if you don't !
 
Monk's comments:
 

On tomorrow night's match against Middlesbrough and coming up against his former club...

“It’s destiny! No, but in all seriousness, those things are out of your control. It’s funny how football works out like that, you see it a lot. Whether it’s coincidences of destiny, or all those types of things, football has a funny way of doing those things on a regular basis. Of course, preparation time, being with the players for the first time today, I had a very good morning with them. Of course, it’s quick and it’s not the ideal situation but we have to put our full focus into it. Working with the players today, they’re a very good group, very determined to get themselves out of this situation, which is good, that’s the first thing you look for. And then you’re really just trying to give them those simple things right now in terms of what we need to do for this game tomorrow.

 

Asked if he thought there was enough quality in the squad to get the Club out of the situation it is in...

A big reason why I said 'yes' to coming here was seeing the capability of what’s in that squad. And, of course, I think we all know with the quality that is in the squad, for whatever reasons, they shouldn’t be in the position that they’re in, but they are. Having played against them earlier in the season, having watched a lot of their games from earlier in the season, and watching as many of their recent games as possible, I have a very good idea of those players. Of course, from previous seasons as well, knowing the players and what they’re capable of. It was that capability that was part of the attraction as well and knowing that there’s a good quality in there that they can do a lot better than they’re going right now. The situation is what it is. You can have quality but you have to put other things with it and that’s what I’m here to do and try and help these guys and this club. The focus is on these 11 games, there is no magic wand, but if we can put certain things in place that can help them then hopefully that quality comes out, which we’re confident it will do. We need to focus on these 11 games to make sure that, number one, we remain in the Championship.

 

On the mood of the players...

You understand the situation, but you’re never quite sure until you stand face to face with them and see it in their eyes, but they were very good and very motivated. Of course, they understand the situation and confidence isn’t at his highest, but naturally that’s dictated by the situation they’ve been in and result-wise. I see a very honest group, which is key in these situations. The only way we’re going to get out of this is together and by hard work and commitment.

 

Huge loss for Boro is Grant Leadbitter, who is very influential for them ( 1-3-5 in his absence this season). City have Maikel Kieftenbeld (see below) back now and in Leadbitters absence, that feels key.

The Bees-City notes were in that March 6th newsletter BTW.
 
Boro won that 1-0 and City lost again last Saturday 3-2 on the road to second placed Cardiff City. However, the level of performance inproved considerably and they were unfortunate to come away from Wales pointless. Today is draw a line in the sand time. Monk has had a free midweek to work with his new squad and it is today we will see if he can work any "magic" and try to incorporate some less square pegs into round holes ! They have four win-able games in a row now, followed by five tough fixtures to end the season and it does feel like now or never. The Tigers arrive on the back of a confidence boosting 3-0 win at Ipswich in midweek and 4-3 home win last Saturday against Norwich, those six points have given them some real breathing space over the drop zone and I doubt that for today they can match the intensity of the Blues. Hull will have also got back home very late Wednesday morning and had limited prep time for this fixture.
 
Monk has tried to fire the players up: "The key for it is we can’t wait for something to go against you to then show that reaction."The mindset we are trying to push upon the players is something is already against us - we are in the bottom three places."Before you even step on the pitch that adversity is already against you."That fight, intensity and urgency has to be there from the first second."That’s what we have prepared the players for - we need to show that in the game at the weekend."
 
The club have slashed ticket prices £10 adults, £1 kids to try and get as much support behind them as possible and the return of David Davis and veterans Tomas Kuszczak and Paul Robinson to the squad have given the team a boost ,the mood in the dressing room is much improved and training sessions under Monk and #2 James Beattie have been intense this week and I am hopeful that will bear fruit today.

 

They won that 3-0 scoring three inside an hour, two from Jota (pictured) who looks rejuvenated under the new coach and he was on fire for Brentford at this time last season scoring 12 goals and with five assists after New Year. They probably did not need the break, but have at least been able to bask on that first win since February 3rd for two weeks. Now they meet mid table Ipswich who have a limited amount to play for and who have overachieved this season, coming out as a relegation level team in most key stat categories, 20th best offense, 18th defensively.
I don't see how they can possibly match the Blues intensity and Town will again need a lot to go their way to get something (anything ?) from this.

 

1.5 units Birmingham City -0.75 ball 2.47 asian line/Sportmarket.

 

Good Luck.

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