Source: FOOTYMAD
Ron's Review Of The Season - Part 1
Part one of Richard Barker's review of Blues' 2009-10 Premier League campaign. Performance of the season There've been a few good ones this season - the draw at Anfield, the home games against "the Big Four", the away victory at Wigan and, bizarrely, the two away performances at Villa and Sunderland. One stands out for me though, and in a fantastic league campaign, it's actually a result in the FA Cup. Blues went to Goodison Park in the Fourth Round with pretty much, in most people's minds, not a prayer of getting a result. I certainly didn't expect much, and given that Everton had just played Manchester City off the park at home a few days previously, and drawn 3-3 at Arsenal just before that, they were very much back in form after their slow start to the season. The numbers who travelled with Blues even reflected that as we only sold just over half of our allocation. No one really gave Blues a prayer. The 2-1 win at Goodison (their first there for 57 years or something) looked even better a few weeks later after Everton then beat Chelsea and Manchester United there too. It was a brilliant result. It kind of summed up Blues of this season all in one game. The first half performance was probably one of the best halves that I've ever seen from Blues. They went to a very good, established Premier League side and tore them apart. The football played for both Blues' goals was stunning. Christian Benitez's header came on the back of a quite brilliant counter-attack, before Barry Ferguson scored after another great move and a stunning flick from James McFadden. Everton simply couldn't cope with Blues. It was a snapshot of the much better football that Blues have played this season. The second half was the other side of Blues - rolling their sleeves up and digging very, very deep. Everton, as you'd have expected, were much better and threw a lot at Blues, but the back five were immense, heading, kicking and blocking anything and everything. Leon Osman did finally score, but Blues worked so hard and defended so well to secure a win that will live long in the memory. The fact that I went on the train with a couple of mates and had had about nine pints pre-match before heading back to drink in Liverpool made it even better (and more surprising that I remember any of it), but it was a top day and a top performance. Goal of the season Strangely, for a Blues campaign, there've been a number of impressive goals over the course of the season. I've already mentioned the Benitez and Ferguson goals in the FA Cup at Goodison. I also think that Lee Bowyer never quite got the credit he deserved for his flick past Mark Schwarzer at home to Fulham, which was a fine finish. There was also Craig Gardner's at home to Everton, which showed the benefit of hitting the ball first time and catching the goalkeeper not quite set, plus Cameron Jerome's at home to Blackburn following a great move down the right involving Seb Larsson and Stephen Carr. The winner though, fairly obviously, was Jerome's strike at Anfield. It genuinely was a goal that would grace any game anywhere in the world, and what made it so special was that it was Jerome who is so often derided for being rubbish with his touch and finishing. Somehow he controlled a long, looping ball superbly, turned his man and moved into space and hit a stunning looping drive over Pepe Reina. I was directly behind the ball as it went in, and you actually couldn't believe what you were seeing. It was one of those goals where every Blues fan in Anfield turned open-mouthed to the fan next to them before celebrating, just to check that they'd seen it too, that it had really happened and that it wasn't that they were on acid. It was an incredible strike. Jerome, buoyed by such a fine strike, has tried it a few times since and troubled the big screen at St Andrews, row KK in some away grounds and also the corner flag. He'll never do it again, but that's what made it so special. In fairness to Jerome, despite all my criticism of him, considering the lack of goals Blues have scored overall, he's had a decent season and has improved his "fox in the box" qualities with a number of close range strikes that suggest his awareness is improving. He'll never do what he did at Anfield again though. Twelve league game unbeaten run of the season Sunderland away, Manchester City at home, Liverpool away, Fulham at home, Wolverhampton Wanderers away, Wigan Athletic away, West Ham United at home, Blackburn Rovers at home, Everton away, Chelsea at home, Stoke City away, Manchester United at home. If you include the FA Cup, throw in Nottingham Forest home and away and Everton away. It really was an incredible, incredible run, and one that I don't think will sink in for years to come. Going twelve league games unbeaten was the best any side managed in the Premier League this season. The fact that the run included the likes of Chelsea (only team to stop them scoring all season), Manchester United, Liverpool (away), Everton (away, twice if you include the Cup) and Manchester City only served to make it even better. What made it even more incredible really was that prior to going on the run, Blues had lost six out of their seven previous games and their were thoughts that Blues were possibly going to find themselves a little short again and perhaps struggle to avoid relegation. It seems bizarre to be saying that now, after finishing ninth, but things weren't going well. The first game of the run was the Sunderland home game when Alex McLeish decided to go two up front and partner Christian Benitez and Cameron Jerome. Suddenly there was life in Blues' play and having struggled and been dour with a 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1 formation, suddenly Blues were a force to be reckoned with. Prior to that run, Blues picked up seven points from nine games. After that run, Blues picked up seventeen points from seventeen games. During that run, Blues picked up twenty-six points from twelve games. Blues picked up more than half of their points over the course of the season in a run that lasted less than a third of the season. That's pretty remarkable really. Had Blues maintained their points per game ratio of the other twenty-six games during that run, they'd have ended up with about thirty-seven points. Comfortably enough to have stopped up, but a long, long way from where Blues ended up. It was a truly unbelievable achievement, the like of which we're unlikely to ever see repeated. Much of it was done using the same starting eleven too, as Blues broke the Premier League record for consecutive unchanged sides, so to messrs Hart, Carr, Ridgewell, Johnson, Dann, Larsson, McFadden, Bowyer, Ferguson, Benitez and Jerome, well done. Disappointing departure of the season Damien Johnson left all of a sudden at the end of the January transfer window, moving to Plymouth Argyle on a free transfer. He'd been club captain for about three or four seasons and had struggled with injury for the last two of those. He divided opinion, and my views of him change almost on a week-by-week basis. Those who weren't fans of his pointed to his apparent lack of ability going forward, his tantrum with the shirt/armband throw and his recklessness that saw him sent off on more than one occasion. It's hard to argue with any of those things. However, he was, I think, a great, great servant to the club. I'll always fondly remember his goal at home to Leeds, his stunner at The Hawthorns and him leaving J'Lloyd Samuel in his wake at Villa Park before crossing to David Dunn to make it 2-0. He played on with a broken jaw once, and you could never, ever question his commitment or desire to the club, which was all the more admirable given that he was never really taken to the hearts of the fans and there were often groans about him. He could easily have slipped away, but his character meant otherwise. Mostly though, I will always remember and respect him for the 2005/06 season when amongst a complete and utter shambles of a side, he had a go at single-handedly keeping a football club in the Premier League. Some say it was a reflection on how bad everyone else was, but Johnson's desire that season was something you don't see too often these days, as he attempted to somehow drag Blues to safety pretty much on his own. He failed, but it can never be held against. That the fans never got the chance to say a proper goodbye is a shame, but perhaps fitting in that he was quiet, unassuming yet greatly appreciated, and perhaps that's how his time at Blues should be remembered. No fanfare, but for those who witnessed it, apart from a few moments here and there, I'm sure everyone appreciated what he did. Part two of the review will be at the site tomorrow (Tuesday).
