Johnson rues missed opportunity

Johnson: Commanding performance

Related links

Teams

• Birmingham City

Players

• Roger Johnson

Also see

• Birmingham fixtures
• Birmingham stats
• Birmingham forum

Roger Johnson admits Birmingham feel as though they let two points slip against Manchester City on Sunday.

The Blues created the better of the chances during a goalless draw at St Andrews, with James McFadden spurning the most clear-cut as he saw a second-half penalty saved.

Alex McLeish's men can take heart from the problems they caused Mark Hughes' star-studded side, but Johnson knows missed opportunities are often punished in the Premier League.

"We were disappointed," revealed Johnson in the Birmingham Mail.

"It feels like a loss when you've had that much of a game.

"It was a great performance against Sunderland, even better yesterday. We just lacked that goal, which we deserved.

"But it was a point, we're on track. Eleven games, 11 points - if you can get a point a game, you stay up.

"We were solid again, second week running. As a team performance, we did really well.

"Their keeper did brilliantly, he kept them in the game really. The penalty chance, we would look to score that, but that's just how it goes."

Respect

He added: "We look to always start well and we did that. We took the game to them.

"You can show sides too much respect sometimes and we didn't do that and we ended up having the better of the chances.

"It didn't faze us, no, their team. It's just a game of football. We do what we do, and we did it well. We just lacked that goal."

Next up for Birmingham is a trip to Anfield to take on a Liverpool side struggling for consistency.

Johnson feels the Reds, who slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Fulham over the weekend, could be there for the taking when the Blues arrive on Merseyside next Monday.

"They're down in the dumps at the minute, Liverpool," said the commanding centre-half.

"They're on the back of a defeat, we're on the back of a performance, so it should be a good game."