Blues bother

Last updated: 22nd March 2008

charlie nicholas

Nicholas: Blues blunders

It was genuinely a good performance that was coming to shape for Birmingham, but again it's cheap goals that they have given away.

Charlie Nicholas
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Reading 2-1 Birmingham
Soccer Saturday analysis

Charlie Nicholas watched dreadful defending stretch Birmingham's winless run to nine league games.

Two Andre Bikey goals, both from set pieces were enough to give Reading a vital three points and leave the Blues perilously close to the drop zone.

On a day when Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and of course the Royals themselves picked up three points in the fight for survival, the defeat leaves Alex McLeish's men just one point clear of 18th-placed Bolton.

And Nicholas believes Birmingham only have themselves - or Radhi Jaidi to be precise - to blame.

"Since Alec McLeish has come into the club he's been working hard on the training field to try and get those defensive duties sorted but it's let them down again - it was two set pieces that broke them again," he told Soccer Saturday.

"Radhi Jaidi was the man responsible for both. Different people will look at the zonal areas, but Alex has said to him 'you mark Bikey' - and for the two free-kicks, he let him go. He nearly got there for the second but at this level, nearly's not good enough.

"It was genuinely a good performance that was coming to shape for Birmingham, but again it's cheap goals that they have given away.

"A lot of anger will be directed from Alex McLeish towards his players. He'll be saying 'you've got to be able to take responsibility and mark people at set pieces, because if we keep doing this we'll be in the bottom three'.

"It's another weekend of disappointment I suppose because they could easily have won this game."

Top-quality

Instead it was Steve Coppell who was left celebrating as his side climbed up to the dizzy heights of 15th place in the Premier League.

And while he was quick to point the finger at Birmingham's defending, Nicholas was happy to pat a rejuvenated Reading side on the collective back.

"It was a very open game," he said. "I wouldn't say the passing was top-quality but there was plenty of effort from two teams actively trying to win the game in a positive fashion.

"Credit to Stevie Coppell again though, because in the second half when Birmingham equalised they were the one team that looked like winning it. The momentum swing their way and you thought Reading were going to lose. But they dug deep.

"I think today will give them the belief that safety is just a couple of games away. They weren't spectacular but the effort was great. Kevin Doyle can't buy a goal at the moment but his workrate was tremendous. He genuinely worked his socks off for the team.

"Dave Kitson didn't do much again, but they've got the know-how and the set pieces. As for Bikey, well if you get two from a defender then your happy! It's a tight call down there, but you don't need to play well and they've got the three points in the bag today."