Thetownend.com

If anyone is interested Birmingham are streaming this live - KO 13.00, £4.99

https://birminghamfcpayments.streamamg.com/account/register/step1

Excellent, thanks for sharing. Does this stop me from going to the pub at lunch is now the decision.

Perfect, I am working from home today.

Oh sounds good, I am up to nowt so may well watch that.

That is tempting!!

Set up a web cam thingy JJ...

Other than holding my mobile in front of the screen... :D

Use a tripod...im not unreasonable!

I can gaffer tape it to my head....might not be a great view when I go for a piss half way through though.....

Quality!

Just don't look down PV  :)

Story of my life!

Birmingham team

Stockdale
Redmond
Cogley
O'Keeffe
Gardner
Medina
Keita
Crowley
Bailey
Vassell

Subs
Trueman
Lakin
Bellingham
Burke
Boyd-Munce
Guzman
Andrews

Is that a strong line up? They’re playing Brizzle Rovers tomorrow.

I have no idea mate! there little word on the line up from the Brum forum.

Trialist, Reid, Baudry, Ballard, Fryers, Conroy, May, Iandolo, Trialist, Yates, Woolery.

I would guess the keeper is the Bulgarian and the attacking trialist could be Isgrove.

No its not a particularly strong line, most have a handful of games under their belts but thats not anywhere near a 1st team line up.

Seems like we left an impression after that brilliant 4-6 win - on me birthday too. Just about to leave when we went 4-1 down.

‘Oh God, don't say Swindon on here, you'll send a shiver down the spine of all the old boys (and Spike)’

‘Glenn Hoddle that day was on another planet..... from the moment he moved to a more advanced midfield role his passing was sublime and made everything look so easy. Spine is still shivering’

Watch out for Tsunamis this afternoon, Audrey!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49047793

Krastev and Isgrove are the trialists.

Last seasons ifollow season ticket didn't run out until tomorrow so got the game for free :)

I look forward to the goal updates.

are we winning yet?

We are having the better of the opening minutes, playing down both channels, not surprising considering we dont have an out and out striker.

Brum unable to cope with Woolerys pace.

Brum 1-0 up Crowley lucky goal against the run of play low finish under the keeper.

Bit of a hole between Ballard and Fryers the striker took it well.

How did you get it to work?

Town putting a couple of crosses in from Isgrove and Reid but they are all of low quality so far.

Went to the Brum site and logged in with Swindon ifollow details with VPN.

We'll win this 6-4

Lively game with lots of tackles going in so far.

Conroy sat just in front of the defence but is not stopping many runs through the middle.

Baudrey looks a calssy signing winning lots of tackles and can pass a ball, May looking good up and down the pitch, Yates has loads of close control but has not had a chance to shoot yet.

Fryers is getting down the line but not got any crosses in yet as hes been linking up with Iandolo who has not done much so far.

Reid looks a unit, fit and tackling ok but his crossing is poor.

Ballard looks a bit off the pace at the back and his positioning is not the best so far.

The keeper has had nothing to do at all other than pick the ball out of the net!

Woolery looks fit and up for it and Brum still cant deal with his pace.

2-0 poor keeping.

The striker rounded the keeper who was way out of goal belted it into an empty net when past the Bulgarian.

Took it well but the ball got past Ballard again down our left side.

Isgrove has got down the wing well and has linke dup well with Reid but his crossing has been poor so far, hes a lot shorter than I remember him.

We are not pulling out of headers or tackles.

Lovely move between Iandolo and Fryers who hit a lovely cross inches off Yates head. Our best attack.

The Brum commentators shocked that we signed Fryers.

Thought that was Darius Vassell initially!

Sad no Jukey...

Town passing the ball really well so far but no cutting edge.

Not sure Conroy suits midfield.

3-0

I agree Conroy isn’t mobile enough to play where he is.

Looked offside cross from the right low into the box the striker took it really well, keeper could possibly have got a better block in.

Hes not quick enough to get back and he isnt creating much.

Krastev just made a decent save.

Not impressed by Krastev, either.

Baudry and Reid look good, the other half of the defence not so much

Just managed to log on to watxh this.

That keeper looks crap

4-0. Absolute rocket

"No shit Sherlock" comment.....

We badly need a holding midfielder and a striker who can hold the ball up and score when he gets half a chance.

Dont think Krastev is any better than Henry.

4-0 top corner from 25 yards out.

With it being the British Open..

FOREEEEE!

Getting a whupping here. Not impressed with much we are doing. Very lethargic.

We haven't played THAT badly we just havent created many chances.

3 or 4 shots and not one has troubled the keeper.

That’s being very kind

So, much like the last few seasons  :)

I have to be honest i have not been that impressed with the keeper. Handling seems very poor to me. Even from the video the other day it seemed he had to have to attempts a lot to gather the ball.

Usually caveats, preseason/higher opposition but Iandolo just hasn't got it. So slow when receiving the ball, not given fryers many options, always turns backwards.

Doughty injured? Otherwise this is the best team we have that is fit isn't it?

He looks awful today...Iandolo that is

I wouldn't sign him based on what I have seen so far. Does not look assured enough and has made a few errors.

Conroy looks flustered in midfield.

Big difference between the teams - they’ve hardly misplaced a pass or failed to control one.

We’re very weak up front. It’s a piece of piss for Brum.

Doughty probably a sub for the second half

Set up nicely for a 6-4 scoreline here.

Still have many defensive frailties especially to crosses.

The keeper does not fill me with any confidence, reminds me of Stuart Moore from a couple of seasons back.

Baudrey looks excellent at the back, Ballard less so. Reid is massive and gets up and down the pitch but his crossing is poor, Fryers is excellent attacking but not as good at the back but a vast improvement on Koiki.

Conroy looks lost in midfield, May made some good runs and was almost set up by Yates near the end inside the box but couldnt reach the through ball.

Iandolo has run around and been...well...Iandolo. Little end product.

Woolery has run his socks off chasing the balls down the channels but cannot get past his marker yet, he has had zero service through the middle.

Isgrove is small and light similar build to Twine and has beaten his man a few times but his crossing has not been great, he doesnt look anywhere near fitness to me.

We passed the ball well, the long ball down the channels early is the way we have played so far and its not working. When we pass it quick and short we look good.

Brum had a few fantastic players, Crowley is running midfield and easily the best player on the pitch, they have 3 speedy attackers that are causing us problems in Vassell, Bailey and Gardner who we are struggling to deal with.

oh dear, sounds pretty shit from your updates PV. No end product has been a trait of ours.


its only pre season
its only pre season
its only pre season

and relax.

We are screaming out for 3-5-2

We have no control of midfield at all, Conroy looks well out of his depth, no holding player no creative player, May is a box to box player but needs support.

We need a striker or 2 and at least one more creative midfielder.

Defensive frailties have been highlighted by Conroy being well out of position.

Ballard looks well off the pace, I think its been a culture shock for the lad and hes been out of position a few times and twice it cost us goals.

Need reinforcements in CM and drop Dion back to CB. Iandolo/Conroy/May is not a midfield 3 that's capable.

But it is just pre season and we would be better ironing out these problems now.

Also there is no way we will face a player as good as Crowley this season, hes been excellent.

Even the Brum commentators saying how well we are playing but that we are shell shocked by Brums finishing.

Town making substitutions.

We've been caught out for most/all the goals from quick breaks when we lose the ball in midfield. League two teams will not press as Brum are and will not break as well.

However the midfield is very short. Missing Rose and Doughty only at the minute so think more is needed.

Interested to see D'Ath and Doughty - much closer to a starting 3 I'd want to see.

I see Doughty and Anderson come on, may be more.

The striker trialist too.

EDIT - Thomas Asante

Ballard off with Conroy and Baudry in a flat 4.

Hunt at LB too?

Havent seen him yet!

Would help if the comms would say who is who but apparently they dont know!

Doughty and Anderson linking well down the left. Iandolo off as well I see.

Brandon Thomas Asante - 18

Looks more like Zeki and Baudry CBs, Dion still in front.

Doughty, Hunt, Anderson, Asante on for Ballard, Iandolo, Isgrove and Woolery(I think).

Ignore what I said about Conroy he is still in midfield, I didnt see Hunt came on.

Look better already. Asante - 15 - looks decent.

Asante misses a great chance from 6 yards, hits it wide after a nice move.

That's Anderson. Asante is 18.

15 is Anderson! Asante is 18.

PP beats me to it again! :D

Ah. Well Anderson looks better than anything we had first half

I love listening to opposition commentary. These ones are such bias wankers! To suggest that Wellens would instruct his team to leave 'one on them' because we are losing in a friendly. Cunt.

Doughty and Anderson have made a nig difference so far in midfield.

Conroy looks like he is lost and uninsterested in midfield.

Init.

Nice save by Krastev.

May off and D'Ath on.

Lovely move by Town, Conroy in the box crosses and finds Anderson whos shot is saved and the follow up by D'Ath blasted over the bar.

At least it looks like D'Ath number 20! may not be!

Doughts goal. Lovely finish.

Much better since HT. Doughty is really giving everyone a rollocking, trying to up the tempo. Not sure who has the armband but he's certainly leading by example.

4-1 Doughty

Placed into the corner from just outside the box after a nice run by D'Ath(?)

This is just the kind of friendly we want. First half showed exactly what we don’t want, second half exactly what we do want.

Couldn’t be 2 such different performances.

Good commentating, Conroy goes down injured and is mitaken for Ballard...and then Anderson! he still didn't get the right players name!

4-1 down , 6-4 up  :)

Great run by Anderson accross the goal but he can't get a shot in....sounds familiar!

Hunt now playing CDM. Zeki back to LB. Broadbent on at CB.

5-1

Yates off...number 24 on...can't see who it is yet.

Looks like Mike Newell so it could well be his son.

Hunt looking more comfortable in CDM than Conroy did.

Asante missed a good chance from an angle, hits the outside post and wide.

Definately Joe Newell confirmed by the comms.

Anderson looking lively, not overly impressed by Asante yet.

Thought Wellens binned Newell in the week

Lovely corner by D'Ath finds Asante who miskicks awful at the far post.

It would appear not!

6-1 mistake by Baudrey, 1st shot saved by Krastev but he finds the net with the rebound.

Doughty great shot to the top corner but the keeper makes a great save.

Town denied a penalty when it looke dlike it could be.

Doughty looking good but he seems to be playing at half speed, not sure if hes not fully fit ot if he just isn't overly bothered tracking back.

He has made a massive difference in midfield this half, as has Anderson who has looked sharp.

Asante misses another great chance from 6 yards out.

FT 6-1

Warmed up?

It was definately D'Ath warmed up!

 Sounds like a worthwhile exercise, should help Wellens make a few decisions

So disappointing we don't have a trialist named Fayt or similar

Negatives
First half the midfield was non existent
Krastev didn't look very good at all, other than he seemed very comfortable playing out from the back
Left hand side of our defence 1st half was taken apart
Iandolo needs to go, simply nowhere near good enough
Conroy is not a midfielder
Up front we look very weak, but we already knew that.
I can't help but feel Fryers is going to be the new whipping boy next season

Positives
Second half we were much better
Doughty took his goal really well and at times looked good without getting out of 2nd gear
Baudry other than the mistake looked very impressive
Hunt, May & Reid all seemed handy
We pressed well and also looked much more physical
We still have players to come in and strengthen the squad

Fryers was alright. Hunt has to be one of the WBs.

Need Broadbent to play the boot it/head it CB. Baudry to play it out when safe to do so. Difficult to assess Ballard. Conroy got to stay as a CB.

Those who berate Anderson need a good talking to. Doughty is still a class act. Yates/Woolery didn’t do much but had no service.

Isgrove or Bennett? Impossible to say at the moment - Bennett was dreadful in his first couple of games but improved quickly.

Krastev? Not for me.

Almost exactly as I saw the game too.

Yep. Hunt looked decent when he cam eon in all the positions he played. Krastev is poor.

Was getting worried we may have one of those Dossevi like pre-seasons.  Good to have a game like this - gives Welllens important info, it seems:

Conroy has a LOT of work to ever be the central midfield holding player, as we all suspected I imagine
Bin off some trialists who clearly won't cut it
Test out players in the squad to see who really deserves a spot going into the opening of the league campaign - Iandolo has something, we know that, but looking half decent against part time teams is a different level, especially when their fitness is probably even further back than yours
Try formations, see if the team can make it work

We know we won;t be playing a team of Birmingham's calibre every week, so taking a beating doesn't sap morale, but the beating probably solidifies decisions which should have us better placed for kick off.

That game today might well have helped us dodge a few bullets.

I quite liked the idea of Krastev - Young, U21 experience, a bit like a European Rhys Evans. I saw one training video and even in that he looked suspect and ponderous.

Goals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEjiUxy9Mmo

Defensive masterclass :)

I can't take much from that, other than I do not like that goalie.

Sobering stuff.

6-1. 6 bloody 1.......

I have no idea who was playing, what formation we were playing

...BUT...IF....

That is even remotely close to our best XI (and I am not suggesting it is for a second) then we’re only 10 players short of having a good first XI

I think that is the worry from a 6-1 preseason drubbing. We all get very excited in the close season when there are lots of signings. There is optimism and positivity at the fact that a number of players that look good on paper, or are hidden gems, have been snapped up and are joining to form the greatest Town side ever. A result like this against a U23 side suggests to me that the squad is not quite as good as we hoped it would be!

Or OR, it's just that they've been doing so much fitness work that they're absolutely fucked, as shown by no. 10 stretching out  his calfs 5 minutes in to the game.

Sent from my CLT-L09

They have been doing a lot of fitness work, I’m pretty sure RW has said that before. He wants them to run, plus the Birmingham side did have some first team players in there.

Crawley being a new signing for them, we were probably the best test they could ask for to look at him more.

But also, a tired league 2 team vs a young and eager Champ/U23 side was likely to end this way. Probably nailed a few coffins and confirmed a lot for RW. Just what we would want on a pre season game with trialists.

I’d prefer to have a game like this, so we can see where we’re falling down and work on it, rather than going 3/4 games into the season suffering and moral taking a massive hit.

The players are probably the same.  Whatever Wellens was trying clearly didn't work, but it's what bcd friendlies are for.  He's got a fortnight, to more or less complete recruitment, and stick out a side that can avoid our recent humiliations at Glanford Park

We were the better side 2nd half. Play like that in L2 and we’re more than OK.

Just the kind of game needed - highlighted, starkly, the difference between the 2 halves.

Sorry I disagree 100% after watching him play a full 90 mins..

its a pre season friendly.

Did we defend shitily in the first half, yes. But success and failure in pre season are seldom indicators of much.

The players knew exactly what their positions and roles were.

A few of them just were not able to play it.

Conroy was way out of his depth, as was Ballard in a back 3. Yates is a decent striker but not a target man.

Hope this clears up the formation issue, which when watching the whole game and not just a few minutes of highlights showed that the players know the formation, we just currently don't have the players capable of playing it.

Also the young keeper was at fault for a few of the goals, one reason we cannot risk putting him or Henry in the side as you suggested.

The keeper did not command his area, did not claim any crosses and his handing was shocking as was his shot stopping except for 2 saves he made.

He was nowhere near any of the goals.

We were over run in midfield by Crowley who is way better than any player we are likely to face this season, if somebody like Carroll was in there mixing it up and stopping his runs they would not have won as easily as they did. Get Conroy back at CB asap.

It was a pre season game, we played an untested keeper who was at fault for a few goals, we played an untested CB who was at fault for a couple of the goals with his poor positioning, Baudrey made one mistake and was punished but otherwise he was excellent at the back and head and shoulders above most defenders we have had in the last 3 or 4 seasons.

It is not time to start cutting your wrists yet.

A holding midfielder, a creative midfielder or 2 and a striker or 2 are needed.

EXACTLY as Wellens has said he wants, its like he actually knows what he is doing, weird that.

Not sure what point you're trying to make... other than saying we shouldn't play Henry because the Bulgarian chucked in a few, which doesn't make any sense.

As a rookie gaffer, Wellens was always going to come up against knowing what he wants and then having to deal with what he can get.   It seems pretty obvious that he isn't yet where he wants to be.... still a fortnight to go and an extended window on loans from I think Div 3, not sure if it applies to higher.

What I am saying is that Wellens knows what he wants, Power will try and get him what he wants, there is still 2 weeks to the start of the season and we have 80% of the team sorted. Also that we cannot start with a rookie keeper in goal in any game that means anything.

Wellens has highlighted what we are missing and will sign players to play those roles yet you seem to be suggesting we wont get any players from this comment.

Yet again your absolute negativity about us being able to make any signings of note is just tedious.

You yourself state there is still 2 weeks to make signings, so why do you think Wellens won't be able to make those signings?

Other than your own morbid cynicism what makes you think we will not sign anyone who can do the job?

It must be awful living you life so utterly negative about everyting all the time? Asking for a friend.

I think you're both saying he's shit though, in which case you agree 100% I would have thought.

I should clarify.

I disagree 100% with that part!

I think the standard of keeping in Bulgaria must be pretty poor if he got into the national squad at one point.

I wonder if Vigs wants to return to be back up ;)

What is tedious is having observation which is as plain as the nose on yoúr face branded negative.  Observation tells us that so far we've been told of several targets who have signed for somebody else.... today a bit about Devitt. 

There's no suggestion we won't get somebody.... we know from experience, gaffers have to compromise.

This observation is in no way negative, just bleeding obvious

PS, just because my observations of STFC in recent years have indicated we're not that great, have no reflection on my life.  PPS I think I've observed we're not that great, simply because we're not that great

10 pages on a pre-season friendly. FFS.

At least we are now talking about our own footballing frailties again and not just discussing Brexit/Politics or the impending explosion at Bury, Bolton & Yeovil which has taken up 100 times as many posts in the last few months as actual STFC based football posts (understandably).

who was supposed to be defending down our left in the first half?

True dat!

Ballard.

Not at all concerned about the result - that would be ridiculous. The only concern I do have is that Wellens might be trying to force Conroy into the DM position.

Hunt looked pretty decent there for 30 mins of the 2nd half, would be a far better option than Conroy who was like a fish out of water.

not impressed! tis only 1 game though

Indeed.

one hopes he's working on a proper DM and just stick him there so he could play the desired formation.

 I know he said he'd play Conroy there, but I don't believe him :)

Kyle Bennett puts BRovers 1-0 up against Birmingham

1-1 now mistake by ex Town player Mayonnaise apparently.

Whole point of pre-season isn't it? Try stuff out, see what works.