Saturday’s game arguably sparked our toughest stretch of league fixtures this season. Wigan have been stalwarts of League One for a little while now and they may have been hoping for a better start to the season.
It was perhaps a little surprising to see Gardner-Hickman in for Leonard; however, there were some tired legs out there against Fulham, and we have an abundance of squad depth for a reason. I’d also go as far as to say that Harris starting wide right was a slight surprise.
In comparison to our last home game (which seems lightyears ago), Blues’ start was far more assured. Alfie May opened the scoring, timing his run to perfection onto a wonderfully incisive pass by Willumson, splitting the centre-halves and leaving May one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Bread and butter stuff for our clinical number nine.
Blues continued to dominate, showing the St. Andrews faithful the work that’s been happening at EPIC. Willumson was at the heart of a great opportunity, taking the ball on the edge of the box, receiving it on the half-turn, rolling the centre-half, and unfortunately just being unable to convert his chance.
Following another slow start to a second half, Wigan came out with a point to prove and tested Blues for long periods. Wigan tested Peacock-Farrell on a few occasions before they eventually pulled level through Aasgaard’s strike from just outside the penalty area. It was an attempt Peacock-Farrell would have expected to deal with comfortably, but Aasgaard’s shot dribbled underneath him. Two mistakes in two league games will not be something he’ll want to repeat, especially with Ryan Allsop breathing down his neck.
This seemingly kick-started Blues’ second half, and the tide turned. Blues dominated possession as Wigan sat back and attempted to hold on to a point. For long periods towards the end of the second half, Blues were stationed in Wigan’s half and piled on the pressure. It was great to see Blues dominate the ball deep in Wigan’s half and try to create chances in and around the penalty area.
Blues’ pressure led to a corner in the first minute of added time. Wigan failed to deal with the outswinging delivery; there was some confusion, and Klarer was the quickest to respond with a tidy backheel to Scott Wright, who rifled home into the top corner, sending the St. Andrews faithful into jubilation.
The only thing that matters this season is that Blues win football matches, and so far, they are showing that. I’m sure Chris Davies will be extremely pleased that when things get tough, his players continue to work hard within the philosophy he has instilled at the training ground, and Blues continue to reap the rewards, albeit a little late.
On a balanced note, I’m sure Chris will have a few concerns. Firstly, this isn’t the first time opponents have come out in the second half and taken control of the game for long periods, looking the more threatening side. Perhaps the steel of Iwata will counter that threat. Secondly, I’m sure Davies will also be hoping that at some point we manage to convert a few more of our chances and run away with leads, especially at home.
Finally, I think Davies has a job on his hands keeping the squad happy. I don’t think any of us expected that end to the window. Blues now have a squad capable of challenging at the top of the Championship, let alone League One. However, Davies has a balancing act on his hands, keeping some very capable players happy while, for spells, playing second fiddle. I’d expect to see a few of the new players play key roles in Tuesday’s game against Walsall, and would expect us to line up as follows: Allsop, Sampsted, Davies, Sanderson, Cochrane, TGH, Iwata, Yokoyama, Willumson, Stansfield, Dykes.
And as I finish harping on about Saturday’s game, I just wanted to have on record my thanks to Mr Wagner and his Knighthead team. I started following Blues in the early 2000s, and I have some wonderful memories of those Premiership years, along with probably my greatest memory of all, the Carling Cup win against Arsenal. However, since then, it’s been desperate and at times immensely worrying. In such a short time, the transformation of our club has been nothing short of miraculous, and however good those old memories were, I can’t remember a transfer window as ‘successful’ as this summer’s for a range of reasons. We have not only strengthened across all playing positions, but we have also brought in league-beating talent and bagged ourselves a marquee signing while we were at it. A truly wonderful time to be a Birmingham fan, and we are so lucky to witness this transformation firsthand.
Ratings
Starting XI
Bailey Peacock-Farrell: 5
Made a smart save in the first half to deny Aasgaards header. He's clearly comfortable in possession, however today he sometimes forced the issue which can leave you on the edge of your seat. In a team which should be limiting opponents to only a small handful of attempts on target, he simply has to do better.
Ethan Laird: 6
Again, a bundle of energy down the right hand side. Clearly something Chris Davies wants from him, playing extremely high and covering a lot of ground as an attacking option. He didn't quite have the success he has had on the ball in recent weeks but did enough to keep Wigan on their toes and wary of the outlet. His injury is a slight worry given his history, hopefully nothing major.
Christoph Klarer: 8 - Man of the Match
Improving week on week. Klarer again looked immense aerially and extremely comfortable on the ball. It may have gone un-noticed but his ability to pick a forward pass unlocked Wigan's defence on a few occasions. Still unsure about him when isolated but another top performance and cracking block at the end. *On a side note, he threw himself into the crowd when Blues took the lead late on. You can't ask for any more than that.
Krystian Bielik: 7
Another solid performance from the skipper. Won his individual duels, strong aerially and always looking to receive the ball.
Alex Cochrane: 6
Cochrane got forward regularly a little more we have seen in recent weeks and we seemed to see the Hansson x Cochrane link up we saw elements of during pre-season. Looked a little under the cosh in the second half but a decent enough appearance.
Paik Seung-Ho: 6
We saw a little bit more freedom from Paik today. His pass-map after the game demonstrates just how effective he was across the pitch. Not just a midfielder orchestrator, we saw an absolute pile-driver from Paik in the second half which stunned Tickle in Wigan's goal. He did look a little leggy in the second half.
Taylor Gardner-Hickman: 6
Following on from his decent substitute appearance, Taylor followed it up with a very decent first start. Brave and strong in tackle and confident on the ball, seemed to fit in well beside Paik. He'll be pleased to have got a decent first start under his belt.
Emil Hansson: 5
Emil is still yet to really find his feet, but he looked a little more positive in the first half and we began to see his link up with Alex Cochrane come to light, as we saw in pre-season. I feel like he needs to do more to secure that position.
Willum Þór Willumsson: 6
His goal at Wycombe aside, this was probably his best appearance for Blues so far. His pass through to Alfie May was tremendous, splitting the defence and weighted perfectly. Took the ball on the turn wonderfully on the edge of the area to roll the centre half but couldn't find the finish. Drifted in and out of the game in the second half as Wigan took control.
Luke Harris: 5
A different role for Harris, one he's a little unfamiliar with. He didn't have the same affect he has had on the game in recent weeks. Put in a decent enough shift out of position, but fairly off early on in the second half. It'll be tough deciding between Harris and Willumson in the 10 role this season.
Alfie May: 7
Starved of service a little, however, when put through by Willumson, his touch, timing and finish were impeccable. His work rate remained his throughout the game although he had very little to work with in long periods of the second half.
Subs
Scott Wright: 7
A tough game to come in to with Wigan dominating. But lets be honest, there's only one thing to talk about. What a way to introduce yourself and what a finish.
Marc Leonard: 7
Came on at a difficult period and helped regain a foot-hold against a dominant Wigan period. Helped us control possession and settle before piling on the pressure in the final 15 minutes. A very decent performance from the bench. A real coup of the transfer window.
Ayumu Yokoyama: 6
Another decent performances albeit not super effective. I don't think we've seen him at his best yet, he'll be a full backs nightmare when you to speed. As we've come to expect from him, he's direct and aggressive and gave Wigan a hard time. I'm sure he'll be pushing for a league start soon.
Lyndon Dykes: 6
Another one who came on at a difficult point. He caused a nuisance of himself. He made his presence felt. Chasing lose balls and putting his body about. Won a fair few free kicks and allowed us to stretch the game at an important point.
Alfons Sampsted: 6
Another decent showing from Alfons. He's come in and seemingly intergrated into the squad and Davies system perfectly, despite that RWB position being a tough role. He's been solid every time he's featured from the bench and I'm sure he'll be starting on Tuesday.
