KwAcKy's Konfessional |
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Nothing of interest; just mindless links to bikes Birmingham City Football Club and useless junk  
  
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31 January 2004
Here comes Johnny Yen again With the liquor and drugs And the flesh machine He's gonna do another strip tease. Hey man, where'd ya get that lotion? I've been hurting since I've bought the gimmick about something called love Yeah, something called love. Well, that's like hypnotizing chickens. Well, I'm just a modern guy Of course, I've had it in the ear before. I have a lust for life 'Cause of a lust for life. I'm worth a million in prizes With my torture film Drive a GTO Wear a uniform all on a government loan. I'm worth a million in prizes Yeah, I'm through with sleeping on the sidewalk No more beating my brains No more beating my brains With liquor and drugs With liquor and drugs. Well, I'm just a modern guy Of course, I've had it in my ear before Well, I've a lust for life (lust for life) 'Cause of a lust for life (lust for life, oooo) I got a lust for life (oooo) Got a lust for life (oooo) Oh, a lust for life (oooo) Oh, a lust for life (oooo) A lust for life (oooo) I got a lust for life (oooo) Got a lust for life. Well, I'm just a modern guy Of course, I've had it in my ear before Well, I've a lust for life 'Cause I've a lust for life. Here comes Johnny Yen again With the liquor and drugs And the flesh machine He's gonna do another strip tease. Hey man, where'd ya get that lotion? Your skin starts itching once you buy the gimmick about something called love Love, love, love Well, that's like hypnotizing chickens. Well, I'm just a modern guy Of course, I've had it in the ear before And I've a lust for life (lust for life) 'Cause I've a lust for life (lust for life) Got a lust for life Yeah, a lust for life I got a lust for life A lust for life Got a lust for life Yeah a lust for life I got a lust for life Lust for life Lust for life Lust for life Lust for life Lust for life Just introducing Georgie to some of her old man's music. Front 242's Headhunter got no reaction, Lust for Life got a boogie and the ButtHole Surfers "Lady Sniff" got a round of applause. As an added bonus, my music drove the good lady out of the house to do some shopping. 30 January 2004
Friday Five Not done one for ages but here goes:- You have just won one million dollars: 1. Who do you call first? Lunn Poly to see what the exchange rate is 2. What is the first thing you buy for yourself? Taxi to Lunn Poly 3. What is the first thing you buy for someone else? Fresh breath mints for the taxi driver 4. Do you give any away? If yes, to whom? The taxi driver would get a tip 5. Do you invest any? If so, how? I bung the taxi driver $50 and tell him to stay outside until I get my money changed Bad Hair Day? 
Well, I got my exam out of the way. Feck knows why I have to do these core subjects, I'll never advise a victim of domestic violence on the state funding available. I might go out of my way to point them in the right direction of an arms dealer to sort the problem once and for all, but I'll never talk about statutory charges on recoverable costs. I've been 33 for more than a week now and I think it's fair to say it's no different from 32. You feel old. You're aware that those born when you first started going to pubs are now old enough to vote. My hair is now more grey than not. Each unknown twinge or pain is the initial onset of coronary disease, osteoarthritis or lung cancer and if you forget anything you know you're on your way to Alzheimer Heaven. To make matters worse I feel patronised by anyone younger than me who bleats "you're not old" and if the same words are muttered by anyone older than me, I know it's jealousy talking. Talking of domestic violence, if I come home and once more find my computer being used for dayglo piffle instead of playing games or viewing naked ladies (someone once told me that the internet has more uses. I'm still tittering at that one) then they'll be trouble. Provided I don't have a heart attack or the arthritis seizes my limbs, or I forget where I left the baseball bat. Feck it, I probably just make a cup of tea and mutter to myself for a few hours on the subject of how no-one listens to old folk any more and the erosion of respect in society being the sole reason for the demise of a decent pint of mild. 5s and 3s anyone? Alasdair - I've not heard from you in ages and a recent e-mail was bounced back. Get in touch you old fart, I know you're reading. 27 January 2004
Lardy Ladies and their Lawyers 
I had some sympathy for Ms Volochkova, the Russian ballerina fired from Moscow's Bolshoi Theater amid allegations she had become too heavy to lift. But know the little madam is, well, throwing her weight about. She's insisted that she will only return to the job if given starring roles. "I dream of dancing in the Bolshoi," Anastasia Volochkova said while on tour in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. "But I don't want to be a marionette in anybody's hands, and I will never return to dance in secondary roles." The Bolshoi fired Volochkova, one of its leading dancers and a national celebrity in Russia, after a contract dispute and amid allegations that she was too heavy to lift. Volochkova, who weighs about 50kg and is 168cm tall, challenged the decision and Russia's Labor Ministry ordered her reinstatement. Now she is promising more legal action and is demanding £550,000 in damages from Bolshoi Theatre director Anatoly Iksanov. She said: "My lawyer will put the case to the Municipal Court in Moscow on February 2." The 27-year-old, who weighs 7 stone 12 lbs, said that since her return to the theatre conditions have been made "intolerable" for her and she has been effectively forced out of the organisation and of Russia. She added: "I'll sue him for moral damage. I've been forced to leave Russia by his refusal to give me anything other than support roles and by giving the media negative information about me." The normal weight for a ballerina is between 6.2 and 7 stone. She is now heading for London to revive her career. She told Russian daily newspaper Izvestia: "I've started negotiations in London. The conditions since my re-instatement at the Bolshoi Theatre have become particularly intolerable." 24 January 2004
Blues v Franchise 
That game was so poor I can't be arsed to do a report. P.S. We won 1-0 and progress into the 5th round for the first time in about 60 million years. 
Just 3 days ago, in the biggest demolition in the West Bank in years, Israel razed 62 shops and market stalls in a Palestinian village Tuesday. The army wounded Palestinians who protested the demolition. Seven bulldozers, guarded by some 300 troops, began tearing down shops in the village of Nazlat Issa early Tuesday. By midmorning, 62 shops were demolished, the mayor said. Dozens of protesters threw stones at troops who fired tear gas and (lethal) rubber-coated steel pellets. Other demonstrators chanted "Down with the occupation." The village is on the edge of the West Bank, close to Israel. The 170-shop market in Nazlat Issa drew many Israeli customers before the outbreak of fighting in September 2000. The market is a main source of income for the village's 2,500 residents, said the mayor, Ziad Salem, adding that Israel officials informed the shopowners that the entire market would be demolished. The Israeli pretext for this criminal assault on civilians is that the shops were built "illegally.” 200,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements built on stolen land in the West Bank (another 200,000 live in illegally annexed East Jerusalem). These settlements are illegal, according to the Fourth Geneva Convention. For 35 years, the government of Israel kills and pillages and fails to perform basic governmental function for Palestinians, including the protection of life and property, yet has the audacity to be concerned about building code violations. Israeli troops have demolished hundreds of Palestinian homes, many in the Gaza Strip, in the past 28 months of fighting. In Gaza alone, more than 5,700 Palestinians have been made homeless, according to Palestinian officials. Many of the buildings were razed by artillery and air raids in military assaults on the civilian population. Since July, Israel has also demolished dozens of homes that belong to the families of Palestinians allegedly involved in bombing and shooting attacks on Israelis. The demolitions constitute collective punishment and are forbidden by the Fourth Geneva Convention. The Fourth Geneva Convention was written with the intention to prohibit the practices of the Nazi occupation of Europe. In Nazlat Issa, demolition orders were distributed earlier this month, and shopowners were told they had 15 days to file court appeals. The mayor said the market has been operating for more than 10 years, and this was the first time merchants received demolition orders. "The Israelis are waging a war on the economic front as well," Salem said. Talia Somech, a disinformation officer (spokeperson) of Israel's military "government" in the West Bank, said it took 10 years to take down the shops because a series of court and committee hearings preceded the demolition of illegal structures in the West Bank. She said without irony that the owners had a chance to remove the inventory before the demolition. Saeb Erekat, cabinet member of the Palestinian Authority, which Palestinians loathe because of its corruption and servility towards Israel, said the demolitions "reflect the fait accompli policies of Sharon on the ground, knocking down homes, livelihoods." Palestinians also made the quite plausible suggestion that the demolition is motivated by Sharon's election campaign. As Israel's crimes against humanity continue, the rulers of the world watch and remain silent. The International Solidarity Movement 
AMIN Gush Shalom's Political positions: The Green Line (the borders before the 1967 war) will be a border of peace between two free and sovereign states: Israel and Palestine. All Israeli settlers in the currently occupied territories will return to Israel. Jerusalem will be an open city, and will serve as capital to both states: East Jerusalem will be the capital of Palestine; West Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel. Both parties can reach a just and agreed upon solution for the tragedy of Palestinian refugees, based on these guidelines: Israel will acknowledge its share of responsibility for this tragedy, and will accept, in principle, the right of return. The refugees will be offered several possible venues of rehabilitation and compensation. One of these venues will allow a limited number of refugees the right to return to the state of Israel, based on a formula that will maintain the Jewish majority in the state of Israel. These positions do not offer absolute justice, but rather a formula that can be accepted by the majority of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples 18 January 2004
Ho Hum 
Blues are away to Chelsea at the moment. Half of our sqaud is out for one reason or another so I don't expect too much. We've got some decent games coming up and it'll be nice to grab some points to ensure another season in the top flight. Kudos to Wolves for their deserved win over the "Red Devils" yesterday. How to perform ethnic cleansing (sorry Spion, you've got to click this one, it's too long to paste). Of course, the whole World should feel sympathy for the people of Isreal and art which dares to speak about the Middle East should be destroyed on sight, according to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon who praised his ambassador to Sweden after he vandalised an art exhibit featuring a Palestinian suicide bomber, without bothering to understand the exhibition or its reasoning. I know see why the US and Israel get on. Blinkers on chaps and fuel that Ministry of Truth. Elftor tells it how it is. Republicans Change Logo Thought this was funny as hell, & decided I'd share it. "The Republican National Committee announced today that the Republican Party is changing its emblem from an elephant to a condom. Governor Marc Racicot, RNC chairman, explained that the condom more clearly reflects the party's stance today, because a condom accepts inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, protects a bunch of pricks, and gives you a sense of security while you're getting screwed." Not everyone thinks Jacko is innocent 13 January 2004
Just for SpionKop A cut and paste job 
Despite their bitter state of affairs, the Palestinian are actually concerned about Iraqis and wish that their occupation would end and hope for Iraq to become a unified sovereign state. The Palestinians also fear that the Iraqi wound would deepen, and accordingly, the Arabs would divert their attention to Iraq and disregard the Palestinian cause. Because of many factors, some Palestinians show signs of sympathy towards the former Iraqi president, who is detained by the Americans, one of which is that Saddam had once threatened and bombarded Israel and was benevolent towards the Palestinian cause. He also donated amounts of money to the families of "martyrs." The long Palestinian experience of occupation drives them to reject any sort of occupation anywhere. Many questions, in the West Bank and Gaza, are raised about the future of Iraq, and the nature of the pictures the Americans released when they captured Saddam. How was Saddam incarcerated? Why didn't he fight? He did not even resist, and they did not even attack. Many of the Palestinians thought that he might actually attempt suicide, for his gun never leaves his sight. He betrayed his gun. The Palestinians wonder about the future of Iraq and the future of the resistance. Will Saddam's imprisonment put an end to the resistance or did he alleviate its burden for a chance of modification and development? Will his trail and execution next June, according to Abdulaziz Al Hakim, current president of the ruling council hasten in closing the Iraqi file, and will it help the Iraqis in regaining their independence? Or will it prompt further ethnic and sectarian differences? In light of this there are also questions about the impact of the new Iraq on it relations with neighboring countries, particularly Syria, and the outcome of the transfer of power to the Shiite majority in Iraq and the balance of power in the region. What impact will the start of a civil war and establishment of a confederation in Iraq have on the Palestinian cause? What is the aftermath if Saddam denies or assures some of the claims of Israel and some member of the Bush administration that Syrian intelligence supported the Iraqi resistance and Syria had hidden the weapons of mass destruction that Saddam had sent? No doubt that the capture of Saddam was a victory for the Bush administration and the government of Tony Blair, knowing that they desperately needed such a victory. It actually gave reconsideration to the British and American intelligence after their repetitive mistakes before and after the invasion of Baghdad. Saddam's mysterious imprisonment does not solve the situation in Iraq. It is most probable that Saddam's followers turned him in, in return for money, because they were getting sick and tired and on the run. It is not far from the truth that his cohorts anesthetized him and turned him to the American "buyer," just as they squealed on Udai, and Qusai's hideouts. The Americans announced news of Saddam's capture carefully and cautiously. They insisted on showing the man in a desperate situation appearing to be as an alcoholic or even a drug abuser. They presented him hiding in a hole, but they did not show us how he surrendered folding his hands up and turning in his gun. They did not even show us how they handcuffed him; instead he appeared to be astonished. It is quite obvious that Bush and Blair will use this opportunity to attain further support to enhance their images. Accordingly, some American strategists are calling for the decrease in number of American troops in Iraq. They are calling for a larger international role and enhancing the working of the different UN agencies. No doubt that the Iraqis suffered long from Saddam's despotic reign and were joyous about his capture. These people who had lost so much and lost so many of their people because of the selfish interest of the Baath Party under Saddam. But the celebration of the end of a dictatorship does not veil their sights towards the dangers of the American occupation. The ruling council and the various Islamic and national forces could deal with the current situation as means of exerting pressure to speed the process of development and the end of the occupation based on democracy and national interest. The capture of Saddam Hussein will not alter any changes among the Sunnis, Shiites, Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen regarding the American occupation in Iraq. The American presence in Iraq will always be regarded by the Iraqis, by international law as an occupying force that must leave without any rewards, especially that no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq and it appears that Saddam's capture exposed the reality about the lies of the CIA and the British intelligence. The Iraqis have the right to try Saddam in Iraqi courts. The Palestinians who suffered long from the Israeli occupation regard that it is not only sufficient to try Saddam, but the Arab system as whole should be reconsidered because it failed to alleviate the sufferings of the Palestinian people as well. The Palestinians also think that the Americans and the British should be tried for their illegal occupation of Iraq, for their continuous support for Israel, for encouraging Saddam to wage a gory war against his neighbors and for providing Saddam with chemical and biological weapons that he used against his own people. No matter what Bush thinks, the resistance in Iraq will not stop and it is bound to escalate. The Iraqis are the only people that should determine the nature of the resistance, and if the capture of Saddam Hussein had weakened the resistance, it sustained an alternative cogency. In any sense, the Iraqi nights seem to be long and it does not seem that the current dilemma would end soon, as the Palestinians and the Arabs aspire. Palestine Chronicles -Nawfal is a political adviser to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. Source: Al-Hayat - 06 January 2004 11 January 2004
Blues v Southampton - my match report The only certainty with Blues is the uncertainty of it all. After our 4-0 defeat of Blackburn in the Cup, Blues were down to the barebones with many key players missing. In come the fringe or “squad” players as they’re now called. What happens when these players get a chance to shine is one of two things: they look out of place, out of their depth and try to hide Or They shine brightly and give the manager a selection headache. This week we’ve seen both. Blues were ruthlessly ripped apart by a resurgent Spurs side who quickly found a weakness in our left side and scored at will, leaving Blues for dead. On Saturday we hosted Southampton. Southampton are one of those benchmark teams for me. They have a solid defence and good artillery and often upset the big guns. They play well as a unit and have a strong work ethic. When we earned promotion I looked at Southampton and hoped that theirs was the sort of level Blues could attain under Bruce. Southampton had a strong line up unlike Blues makeshift defence and midfield which saw Kenna at left back, Cunningham back on the right of centre, Purse to his left and Tebily on the right. Hughes was back in the starting XI with Clemence and Dunn was on the left of the field with DJ in his more comfortable right wing role. The now familiar and blossoming pairing of Forssell and Morrison completed the line up. The injuries are so crippling that Bruce had to put Cisse on the bench despite his own physical problems. The match saw Southampton have a shot within about 10 seconds which was thankfully wide. Blues appeared to be out of sorts and possibly still shaken after the midweek rout. Southampton took full advantage pressing forward in numbers and feeding Beattie who beat Purse to head just off target. Minutes later Blues were guilty of ball watching as Southampton won a corner and Omerod pounced on a parried Higginbottom shot. 1-0 Blues dug deep and took the game to the visitors. Morrison looking lively managed to shoot just over but was also guilty of failing to spot an unmarked Clemence. Dunn took great delight in taking on players as he created chances for the strikers who were ably supported by Bryan Hughes. At the back the old dogs of Kenna and Cunningham made sure Purse was always receiving instructions and Tebily did well to snuff out threatening runs on his wing. Purse started off looking a little nervous but he soon found his rhythm making good defending headers, playing up close to Beattie and tackling sooner rather than later. In fact, he did so good a job in man marking that later in the game Beattie moved over to the far left to try and expose Tebily. Blues continued to press for an equaliser and the self belief started to show. Blues won a corner which was taken right-footed by Bryan Hughes into the box. Confusion reigns as to the goal-scorer but it appeared to be a headed goal by Stephen Clemence although many fans thought Forssell got the final touch and TV replays show a Southampton defender had the final say. 1-1 after 16 minutes After this Blues showed steel which was best represented by Dunn’s performance which seemed to lift the team and the very flat crowd. Late in the first half Blues dominated possession but were kept out by some fine saves from Antii Neimi, including and excellent tip over from a stinging long range shot by Morrison. Unfortunately both sides appeared to have had Oveltine for half time drinks and the first 10 to 15 minutes of the second half were devoid of entertainment. Southampton did make some half hearted probes into the final third but the Blues defence mopped up what Taylor dropped. I’m not sure if our ‘keeper was having bad day or if he was unsettled by another change to the back four line up but he seemed unable to communicate which often resulted in goalmouth scrambles which could have been punished. That man Kenna was clearly enjoying his football and was involved in Blues’ second having set up from start to finish scoring with a sweet right foot after a good pass from Morrison. The crowd finally woke up and the noise reached fever pitch just minutes later when Prutton elbowed Kenna as they challenged for the ball. Kenna went off for stitches as Prutton and his team mates protested about the sending off. What they had to say is anyones guess but all players know that jumping for a ball with an elbow leading is enough for a card. Both sides were down to 10 men but Blues (finally) had the crowd behind them as a very loud “Keep Right On” reminded everyone that crowd participation was permissible. Kenna took several minutes to receive treatment (still better than the 4 hours waiting at the Acky, eh?) as Southampton and Blues both tried to take advantage of the other sides lack of a man. Once back to full strength Blues looked to kill off the visitors but Forssell, Hughes, Dunn and Morrison both missed by inches or found the woodwork or Neimi's gloves. The last 10 minutes was pretty much one way traffic as Southampton fought back and the best Blues could muster was the occasional counter-attack. As the game neared it’s climax Southampton went all out for the equaliser and were almost rewarded when Taylor once again fumbled. A late corner saw Neimi come forward but Blues, forever insisting on having all men defending, didn’t take advantage of an empty net. A decent game for the neutrals as the pundits would put it. For the Blues it was 3 points well earned considering the over spilling treatment room and the midweek debacle. Blues went back up to 8th place, over their visitors and a team from Witton. 10 January 2004
MATCH REPORT TO FOLLOW Player Ratings Taylor - looked out of sorts in front of a makeshift defence 6 Kenna - MAN OF THE MATCH can anything keep this guy down? - 8 Purse - looked more comfortable and won some good headers. Needs more pace - 7 Cunningham - usual solid performance - 7 Tebs - better going forward but did enough - 6 Dunn - the whole crowd sang his name today and for good reason - 8 Clemence - not his best day. Very poor start but should have had his name on the score sheet - 6 Hughes - played well and links up nicely with Dunn - 7 DJ - didn't seem to get going and frequently took the wrong option - 6 Forssell - unlucky not to have scored - 8 Morrison - growing in stature and earning the right to keep Dugarry out (if he should return) - 7 09 January 2004
The Darwins As you probably already know, the Darwin awards are awarded annually for the most extreme act of (occasionally terminal) stupidity -- they are now in for 2003. RUNNER-UP The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting machine and, after a little hopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company, suspecting negligence, sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine out and lost a finger. The chef's claim was approved. RUNNER-UP A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her. RUNNER-UP After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Beltway had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies. The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days. RUNNER-UP An American teenager was in the hospital yesterday recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit. RUNNER-UP A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer? $15. (If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, was a crime committed?) RUNNER-UP A thief burst into a Florida bank one day wearing a ski mask and carrying a gun. Aiming his gun at the guard, the thief yelled, "FREEZE, Mother-Stickers--This is a F***-up!" For a moment, everyone was silent. Then the snickers started. The guard completely lost it and doubled over laughing. It probably saved his life, because he'd been about to draw his gun. He couldn't have drawn and fired before the thief got him. The thief ran away and is still at large. In memory of the event, the banker later put a plaque on the wall engraved with the words, "Freeze, mother-stickers, this is a ****-up!" RUNNER-UP Seems this Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. Seems the liquor store window was made of Plexiglas The whole event was caught on videotape. RUNNER-UP As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from." RUNNER-UP The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan, at 5 a.m., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away. RUNNER-UP Kentucky Two men tried to pull the front off a cash machine by running a chain from the machine to the bumper of their pickup truck. Instead of pulling the front panel off the machine, though, they pulled the bumper off their truck. Scared, they left the scene and drove home. With the chain still attached to the machine. With their bumper still attached to the chain. With their vehicle's license plate still attached to the bumper. They were quickly arrested. A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER! When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had. DARWIN WINNER, 2003. When his 38-caliber Revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach, California, would-be Robber James Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder: He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked. 04 January 2004
A Tale of Two Cities It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. A few weeks ago Blues entertained Blackburn. We never do well against this team and lady luck is certainly out of town when the two collide. Dugarry did his best to ensure he could go Christmas shopping before the shops shut. He managed to avoid a red card for using an elbow to break a nose but made sure he picked up 2 cards and that early bath. Blues held their own for 2/3rds of the game, let in a soft goal then sat down on the pitch and watched Blackburn score at will. 0-4 Steve Bruce said it was the worst performance he had seen in his tenure. The next day it's the FA Cup 3rd round draw. Blues never do well in the cup. We're always drawn away from home and we ensure we make the "Giant Killer" headlines for all the wrong reasons. The balls are rolling. Blues at home. To Blackburn. Someone somewhere is taking the piss. For whatever reason many fans stayed at home. Cold weather, lack of funds, poor 3rd round record or the recent rout. Eighteen thousand is piss poor. When the lights failed I thought I had made the wrong choice and should have joined the ranks of the stay aways. Kenna played at right back and Lazaridis took the left side with Dunn on left midfield and Morrison paired with his old strike pal Forssell. A very attacking bench meant the absence of Cisse and Purse. Good early exchanges saw both sides have a pop. It then looked like it would fizzle out. Then woe came to town. Upson and Cole challenged. It looked like a simple tackle. Upson didn't get up and rolled in pain only taking time to flag the bench. The stretcher came out and off went Upson to a standing ovation. 
On came Bryan Hughes. The player most Blues fans thought would be best suited to the Prem but often fails to stake his claim to the starting XI. Kenna took Upson's place and DJ dropped to right back. The faint smell of fear caught the cold winter air. Kenna is no centre back and lacks pace. Hughes could have one of his off days. Blackburn took full advantage of the settling in period and attacked with gusto (a new Turkish forward!). Blues stood, took the battering then found self belief. Hughs made an early impact, going just wide after a few minutes and and then setting up Morrison who took his goal well. Clinical finishing indeed. Forssell continued to harass and Morrison harried. Hughes provided support. Kenna and Cunningham mopped up and Kenna even showed pace. In the 36th minute we had a goal from Stephen Clemence who drilled left-footed into the bottom-left of goal from the centre of the penalty area. Dunn, told to stick to his usual game and not over impress, ran hard at the Blackburn defence, took two on, passed to Forssell who saw Hughes and BANG in it went. Birmingham 2-0 Blackburn. An assist by Mikael Forssell. Blues could do this. Then further heart ache just before half time as Lazaridis hobbled off to the chant of "there's only one Stanley". On came contractual Carter. Clemence dropped to left back. Dunn looked like he was struggling with his injury and spent long periods on the far side of left midfield. He was later replaced by Kirovski (76th minute). In the second half Blues continued to show their worth. Kenna and Cunningham brought the back line forward ensuring the linesman learnt semaphore. Dino Baggio came on and helped point Blackburn in the right direction but to no avail. Taylor called loudly for most crosses and the communication with his defenders remained sound. Hughes was in the thick of things and Savage tussled with Tugay, at one point kicking the ball off his his head at the Turk lay prone to earn us a throw in. Tugay vented his vexation with a careless challenge and the very good Paul Durkin proved his pockets hadn't been stitched up. Forssell earnt his much deserved goal when Taylor saw he was being played onside. Long ball out of the Blues goal mouth, brought down sweetly by Forssell, defender beaten, goalie clueless, Blues 3-0. The dying minutes ensured that revenge was complete at Morrison, Forssell and Hughes ran straight at the heart of the Blackburn defence, Morrison squared to Hughes who calmly slotted it in to make it 4-0. 
Reports Singing the Blues BBC Sport Sporting Life Sky Sports The Ref During his warm up the Blackburn fans booed him and Durkin mockingly chook his fist at them. As he passed the Blues fans we cheered and were rewarded with a thumbs up. The chant of "who ate all the pies" saw Durkin point to an assistant and boos from the Tilton saw him stop and wag his finger. Good stuff. More of the same please referees. He controlled the game, watching for advantage to allow the game to flow and tired with Blackburn being caught off-side so frequently he played on if Blues won the ball. A consolatory chat with Hughes after he went wide by a gnat's wing and a restraining hug for Tugay when Savage did what Savage does. An excellent performance from the Men in Black. More please. Player Ratings Taylor - 8- good saves and strong in the air. Good foresight for Forssell's goal Lazaridis - 8 - nice passing and ran well overlapping with Dunn. Cunningham - 8 - marshalled his makeshift defences and looked good with Kenna Upson - 8- looked his usual solid self Kenna - 8- there's life in the old dog yet. Showed he can still run and reads the game well when he's in the centre DJ - 8- held the ball well and didn't panic. Clemence - 8- good in midfield and at left back. Hughes - 9 - Excellent vison, nice passes, attacked well with Morrison and Forssell but helped out with midfield duties Carter -7 - Didn't do too much but didn't do anything wrong Savage - 8 - another terrier like performance. Wound up Tugay a treat. Dunn - 8- Good at attacking defenders but he must look up before he passes. His forward passes are great but some of this midfield passes found the wrong team. Morrison - 9- Tracked back, tackled, chased, scored and set up others. Forssell - 10- SIGN HIM UP. If we don't get this guy I'll tear up my season ticket. Kirovski - 7 - a good option for midfield. |
