July 2008 Archives

IT WAS just like old times in the Championship, Blues doing a job on enthusiastic opponents who raised their game.

And you could say it was just like old times for Kevin Phillips, only that he there are no old times - he just keeps on going and keeps on scoring.

Two minutes into stoppage-time Phillips got across his marker to latch on to a fine through-ball by Cameron Jerome and buried a shot into the bottom corner.

It was his second goal of the evening, the other coming in the 78nd minute, when he was in the right place at the right time to steer in a close-range header after Jerome glanced on Sebastian Larsson's corner.

TRAVELLING to the Medway from Birmingham wouldn't be most peoples idea of fun at the best of times, let alone for a pre-season friendly.

And next year you can bet Alex McLeish will be pinpointing the likes of Walsall and Kidderminster on the map and asking chairman David Gold to politely tell his pal, Gillingham owner Paul Scally, he can't do him a favour again.

But in preparation for the Championship and the kind of journeys Blues can expect, at least it served some kind of purpose.

Blues scored twice in five first-half minutes through Cameron Jerome and Martin Taylor and had control of the match at Priestfield before slipping into relaxed mode on a sunny, sultry afternoon.

Gillingham, inspired by the lively little forward Simeon Jackson, could have ended up forcing a draw.

FINALLY left Austria, having spent half a day traipsing around Salzburg (we have to go budget airline late evening to Stansted, no direct flights from Munich to Birmingham for us).

Well, after photographer Tim Easthope and I managed to get the infamous Audi up and running.

After Blues had left their hotel in Westendorf earlier than expected to beat a strike by Lufthansa pilots, we noticed the rear tyre in the hire car was flat.

Coming after the first day farce when there was the front nearside tyre burst and had to be replaced with the spare space-saver in the boot, not good.

BLUES closed their tour in the Tirol by defeating Nurnberg courtesy of goals by Garry O'Connor - after just 11 seconds - and James McFadden.

The result maintained their 100 per cent record in the third and final game and perhaps offered a decent yardstick for the months ahead as their German opponents are in a similar state of transition.

They were relegated from the Bundesliga on the final day and, like Blues did in drawing against Liverpool, squandered a 2-0 lead against Arminia Bielefeld in a match they have been left to rue.

Blues controlled the first half well after getting off to a flying start when Nurnberg passed the ball straight to McFadden from the kick-off.

MOST players lose themselves in their laptops, i-phones and computer games on tour during rest time.

Arsene Wenger might be interested to know that Martin Taylor has been wading through Leo Tolstoy's famous tome War and Peace. Then again, Wenger would probably demand he be banned from every library for life.

Tiny has brought over his course work for an Open University degree in political science too.

Having covered Blues tours since 1990, lots has changed.