Buying From Our Premiership Rivals 2007: Birmingham City
By James Collins On Wed 27 Jun 2007 |
Having left a clear impression on the claret and blue half of Birmingham, Newcastle-Online now turns its attentions towards St. Andrews, to see which players at Birmingham City could potentially improve our first team squad.
Steve Bruce’s men must surely have differing ambitions to Newcastle for the forthcoming season. While the Magpies would like to challenge other mid-table big spenders for a European berth, Birmingham must surely be looking to avoid another relegation. Steve Bruce has done well to bring the Blues straight back up, albeit with the backing of a generous boardroom.
Looking at their squad, it is fair to say that Birmingham have a good chance of avoiding the drop. A decline in standards at Wigan, Fulham and Middlesborough observed over the past few months mean that all promoted sides have a good chance of Premiership football in the 2008/09 season. A confident Birmingham City side has the ability to score plenty of goals, and pick up points against all Premiership under performers.
Chairman David Gold will probably need to splash the cash on a defender though, as Birmingham’s defence would appear to be pretty porous with the personnel they currently have at their disposal. This would appear to make it difficult to suggest any particular individual whom Newcastle could sign, given that we also need to find some Premiership quality defenders.
However, one can not ignore the attacking players in a team that put seven goals past us that season. It will certainly be interesting to see how DJ Campbell does in the Premiership, given that he has been terrorising various Newcastle defenders in the FA cup over recent years. Newcastle would probably be one step too far up the ladder for him however.
One forward player that really caught the eye last season however is Gary McSheffrey. A left-sided forward, the ex-Coventry player showed last season how effective he can be by scoring and creating a significant number of goals. Given the fact that Duff, Luque and N’Zogbia all failed to perform in a left-sided attacking role, McSheffrey could be a consideration, especially if Allardyce wants to add some competition to our squad.
In the Arsenal edition of Buying From Our Premiership Rivals, it was suggested that the club could do with a defensive midfielder, and Mathieu Flamini was suggested, with an observation being made that he could also offer invaluable cover in the full back positions. It would appear, looking at today’s widespread reports that we are close to signing Chelsea’s Geremi, that Sam Allardyce agrees that this type of player is needed. If we fail to sign Geremi, then Sebastien Larsson, could be a possible alternative, albeit less experienced and less proven. However, having not had Larsson for a significant amount of time, it is hard see Birmingham letting him go.
Who would you sign from Birmingham? Will Birmingham stay up this season? Have Your Say.
Previously, Buying From Our Premiership Rivals 2007 recommended the following players:
Arsenal
Matthieu Flamini
Justin Hoyte
Johan Djourou
Armand Traore
David Dein (as a potential Chief Executive)
Aston Villa
Aaron Hughes
Birmingham City
Gary McSheffrey
Sebastien Larsson
Loading ...
why larson. I’d rather force milner and dyer to compete for places, or buy ludovic giuly, to help develop young milner. Personally my first choice RM would be milner.
nufc squad next year:
Given
Young Rozenhal Taylor/Hyypia Baines
Milner Barton Butt/Edmilson Duff
Gudjohnson Martins
Sent in on: June 29th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Whats with all the Brummie’s invading this article???
I very much doubt that with Big Sam in charge instead of the useless Roeder and Ashley about to start pumping money in that there will be a repeat of the 1-5 next season.
I would have thought the score line would be the other way around next season, really.
You caught us at our lowest, Brum. The clowns have gone and sensible rebuilding has begun. You won’t leave SJP with any points next season.
Sent in on: June 28th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
There is absolutely nothing wrong with looking at Birmingham City, to see is any of their players would improve our squad. I can think of quite a few games last season where I would have been happy to swap out some of our “star” players from some of Brum’s players.
I certainly don’t know nearly everything about the Blues & you never know who this article might throw in as a suggestion.
Keep up the good work/research James, it does benefit us fans that don’t know everything there possibly is to know about every single club & player.
Sent in on: June 28th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Birmingham city Players? are you having a laugh. Ye, there players are really going to get us into europe arn’t they. What a pointless suggestion. There players will be struggling next season fighting at the bottom, so why sign them. They simply are no where near good enough. Ok they stuffed us last season, but freak scorelines do happen in football and that score does no way say they are better than us.
Sent in on: June 27th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Dick Sanders when have Newcastle last won anything good? Blues have never won anything good but Newcastle are just as bad.
Sent in on: June 27th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Brum caught us on a very bad night.
But that in no ways means we should be looking at any of their players.
None of them are top 6 material and that is where we should be aimimg.
Sent in on: June 27th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
you are joking aren’t you i thought for a minute you were trying to be serious, i cant see any of the birmingham side wanting to go to a side that put up such an abject display against them last season,it must have looked awful from the pitch watching fans leave in droves, expect more drubbings from the boys in royal blue next season…..you might avoid relegation yourselves too, mind you i guess that will depend on the mackems being generous
Sent in on: June 27th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
” I cannot see Birmingham causing us too many problems tonight…….”
Just the 5 then Alan!
Sent in on: June 27th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
More like you have been drink with Aaron Hughes!!!!
Sent in on: June 27th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Sebastian Larsson is not a defensive midfielder, more of a winger, though he has filled in at right back on a couple of occasions. I think this article is purely based on the 5-1 at St James’ last season - after that McSheffrey hardly scored. Both are decent players however, and we would not have been promoted were it not for their superb delivery of corners and free kicks. We will need more of the same to stay up this season… I wouldn’t hold much hope of signing either to be honest.
Sent in on: June 27th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Gary McSheffrey
Sebastien Larsson
I think both are excellent players but we would not get them from Birmingham as they are both recent additions to their squad, I also like Moumba(spelling) also a recent addition, I think they will survive (just) but it depends on who they bring in, also there is rumors of a billionaire buy out which could up their profile.
Lets hope we don’t cop a beating from them like the cup game, we have to win back some pride against the brummies, I noticed they released the cup game on a DVD in their club shop!!!! I suppose if they have never won anything then its any glory you can get.
Sent in on: June 27th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Aaron Hughes?? Have you been drinking?
Sent in on: June 27th, 2007 at 2:19 pm