What an absolute awful day that was. London transport is an absolute f***ing joke. The trains terminate at Millhill (the next stop from me) for the next six weeks and all they have to offer is two f***ing buses to get to the game meaning I'll need to leave about three hours early just to get to the bloody game for the next six weeks. They've also raised the cost of a bloody travelcard. £7.00 for a travelcard and they can't even get me to the place that I want. Got to the game at 2.59, was bloody lucky with the trains and buses and had to go a completely differernt route to the one they suggested. London f***ing transport
Onto the game. We started off very well and had two early chances, Ade came close and Taylor did well to save his shot. Could have been a penalty as Schmits was all over him and Ade lost his balance, but too soft for a penalty. Then out of nothing Kapo played a superb through ball to Jerome who ran onto it and had a great strike at goal and Almunia made a great save. I was right behind it and going down would have been a real problem for us. The little clenched fist showed it mean a lot to him.
We thengot back on top of the game and Hleb produced an absolute superb ball into the box and how Eduardo didn't put in I don't know. If he had put it either side of Taylor and it was a goal, instead he put it straight at Taylor. It was an absolute blinding ball in by Hleb and makes you wonder where those types of crosses have been over the last few years. Definitely something I'd like to see more of with Ade and Eduardo who has shown he isn't bad in the air.
Then after some superb play from Eduardo and Hleb put Eduardo through on goal and Stephen Kelly made a good tackle on Eduardo who dithered on the ball for too long. I'm assuming to Down it looked like Kelly went through the player in order to get the ball and that's why he gave a penalty. Ade usually puts it to the bottom right and Taylor had dived that way long before Ade even took the penalty, however it was so well placed he still couldn't get to it. 1-0 up and deservedly so and I expected us to really push on and grab a second as soon as possible.
Fabregas and Hleb played some more superb stuff and Cesc was unlucky to see his shot deflected over. We didn't seem to really push on and attempt to get the second which would have killed Birmingham off. We seem contempt to sit on what we had and that in the end cost us. If we had really pushed on and attacked Birmingham I really thought that they were there for the taking. I'm sure the lads will learn from that and Wenger will show them that they need to kill teams off after taking the lead.
We came out for the second half and were completely asleep. We were strolling and Birmingham took advantage of that and caught us napping. They won a corner and O'Conner won a header and an unlucky deflection off Cesc took it into the back of the net. I really thought that we had seen the last of goals like that at the Emirates. It's what cost us so much last season at the Emirates and since we've cut that out the home form has improved dramatically.
One point on today was how awful Theo was, he was so bad he made Eboue look like a good player. Every time he got the ball he lost it and although he usually does that today it was worse than usual. There was such a clear difference between him and the rest of the team. He seems to lack the quality and ability to be a first team regular on the right hand side and I can't see him getting a starting slot up front. I really think we need to go out and sign a quality winger in this transfer window. It would give the squad a massive lift to see us bring a new face in and give us that something extra we need in order to take the title off United.
Senderos had a good chance with a header from a free kick from Cesc, but Taylor saved well. Fair play to Senderos I am always the first to criticise him but he played really well today and won 3-4 brilliant tackles. Looked a lot calmer and I was impressed overall with him. We broke through again Eduardo getting through on the left hand side, but again he waited and we just couldn't force the ball in. Birmingham by now just couldn't get out of the penalty area. As soon as they got it they gave it straight back to us. Hleb and Fabregas were again at the heart of another superb move only for Bendtner to put it wide. Time was running out and the players were giving their best and the atmosphere was really good. We were willing the ball in and credit Birmingham they defended very well today.
With the clock running down Bendtner hit a poor shot over the bar which pissed me off so much, as it was a ridiculous effort to attemt and went well over when we had an excellent opportunity. Bendtner atoned though and played a great ball through to hleb who played the ball accross seemingly for Gallas to put into the empty net, but somehow it didn't go in. We had completely piled on the pressure and given everything for the win, but just didn't have it in us to unlock their defence. Right at the end Cesc had a great shot from 30 yards which missed the top corner by inches.
Very disappointed to have dropped two points at home especially to Birmingham a team I really expect us to be beating. We just didn't have a cutting edge in the final third today. Maybe due to the fact we were missing Robin and Tommy who both are superb at unlocking defences, but that tells me maybe are squad isn't strong enough. Which as I said earlier suggests to me that we should bring someone in who when we have our star players out can produce that something special to win the match, as in Diaby and Theo it isn't there.
We're now second joint on points with United and must let the disappointment of today's result push us on to better things.