Birmingham City Preview

By Mark Heys
September 13 2007

It's back to Premier League action this coming weekend as Bolton Wanderers take to the road when coming up against newly promoted Birmingham City at St Andrews on Saturday afternoon in a game which is already being described as a six pointer.

The Wanderers have lost four out of their last five games since the season began so a trip to one of their unlucky hunting grounds is perhaps the last thing they needed.

That said, opponents Birmingham are yet to win a league game at home this season and lie just a point ahead of Bolton having accumilated four points in the opening month of the campaign.

Bolton have put in some decent performances since Sam Allardyce's departure as manager but it is the defensive mistakes which are costing the club dear.

The game against Reading in mid-August was the only time the Trotters have kept a clean sheet and Sammy Lee will be keen to instill this clean sheet mentality into his troops over the next few weeks.

Lee will be able to select winger Christian Wilhelmsson despite the fact that the Swedish international picked up a thigh strain during the week.

Stelios Giannakopoulos, Ricardo Gardner and Joey O'Brien are all back in training and close to a first team return but it seems as if the game at St Andrews may come a little too soon.

Republic of Ireland international Andy O'Brien will be hoping for his first start after impressing as a second half substitute in the game against Everton.

Ricardo Vaz-Te, Heidar Helguson and Blerim Dzemaili are still long term absentees with knee and ankle injuries but in comparison to a month ago the injury list is easing considerably.

Birmingham are without Australian midfielder Neil Kilkenny as the former Oldham Athletic loanee is still troubled by a thigh muscle strain.

Damien Johnson (hamstring), Rafael Schmitz (achillies) and Franck Queudrue (ankle) are all doubtful for the game. Ex-Wanderer Radhi Jaidi should play.

LAST TIME WE MET

07/05/2006 BOLTON WANDERERS 1 (Vaz-Te) BIRMINGHAM CITY 0

BOLTON: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Joey O'Brien, Tal Ben-Haim, Abdoulaye Faye, Henrik Pedersen, Gary Speed, Ivan Campo (Ricardo Vaz-Te), Hidetoshi Nakata (Jay-Jay Okocha), Kevin Nolan, Kevin Davies, Stelios Giannakopoulos (Jared Borgetti)

Subs Not Used: Radhi Jaidi, Ali Al-Habsi

BIRMINGHAM: Maik Taylor, Mario Melchiot, Martin Taylor, Alex Bruce, Mat Sadler, Damien Johnson, Medhi Nafti (Neil Kilkenny), Nicky Butt, Jermaine Pennant, D.J Campbell, Emile Heskey

Subs Not Used: Martin Latka, Stephen Clemence, Marcos Painter, Nico Vaesen

PLAYED FOR BOTH

Simon Charlton, Tony Evans, Paul Fitzpatrick, Bob Hatton, David Holdsworth, Radhi Jaidi, Allan Johnston, Andy Kennedy, Jim McDonagh, Trevor Morgan, Bruno N'Gotty, Jamie Pollock, Kevin Poole, Isaiah Rankin, John Sheridan, Bryan Small, Stuart Storer, Gordon Taylor, Neil Whatmore, Frank Worthington

DID YOU KNOW?

Bolton coach Ricky Sbragia began his career with Birmingham City in 1974. He made 15 appearances for the Blues and scored one goal prior to leaving for Walsall in 1978.

Joey O'Brien's last Premiership appearance came against the Midlands side in May 2006. He is yet to make a return to first team action after over a year out with a knee injury.

Current Birmingham player Radhi Jaidi was on the Bolton bench the last time these two teams met. Jaidi and Bruno N'Gotty both left Bolton for the Blues within a few days of one another. N'Gotty has since moved on to Championship side Leicester City.