Season 20/21: Birmingham City v Swansea City Match Thread

[swansnews]

Birmingham City v Swansea City
St Andrew's Trillion Trophy Stadium
The SKYBET Championship
02 April 2021, 8.00pm Kick Off

This match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports

So that is the international break just about over and done with and we are now back in the home straight of the league season.

We went into the international break on the back of defeats against Bournemouth and Cardiff but there are nine games left to play, twenty-seven points available and we are in the mix for automatic promotion.

A glance at the top four this morning shows us six points off Watford in second place but with a game in hand and knowing that they have to face both us and Brentford in what are real true promotion six pointers. Smart money right now would suggest we need to win 7 of the 9 games we have left, something that is definitely in us but it will take an increase in performance to make that happen.

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Steve Cooper will assess his international players ahead of the game and see who retains their match fitness so it's easy to see maybe the likes of Connor Roberts or Marc Guehi missing out after their international exploits but he will hope that Conor Hourihane and Andre Ayew both report fit following their recent injury scares.

As ever on Planet Swans we have for you some of the most comprehensive pre-match coverage in our matchday thread that will bring you all we need to know over the next few days as well as all the chat during the match together with every post match follow up you would wish to read (and maybe even more!)

 

[swansnews]

On loan Chelsea defender defender Marc Guehi missed out on England Under-21s last match of the international break tonight amid discussion that he had picked up an injury ahead of the game. After playing in the opening two games of the tournament for Aidy Boothroyd’s team Guehi was not present today...

Read more

 

[Badlands]

He missed the only game England won!
Naughton Bennett Latibeaudiere.

 

[Baron Goblet]

Makes sense

 

[swansnews]

Tony Harrington will take charge of this evening’s game at St Andrew’s when the Swans finally return to league action for the first of nine games that all of us hope will lead to glory. Harrington has taken charge of 27 Championship games to date this season and with his award of 77 yellow cards...

Read more

 

[swansnews]

Planet Swans news coverage of this evening's game can be found here

https://planetswans.co.uk/tag/birmingham-v-swansea-2nd-april-2021-efl-championship/

 

[AlarchAlmaenig]

Although it is not a "must win" in the literal sense, I think we do need to win this if we have automatics in mind.

I have to say, I really feel a draw coming on. We've had a lot more players on international and I think we don't have potency. 1-1.

 

[Swanjaxs]

Brum will bully us all night.
Home win.

 

[bakajack]

By the way did anyone see Watford's winning goal? Anyone who accuses us of cheating can at least have the solace of the referees following the rules of the game

Flag goes up for offside against Fortune but play goes on, defender slides in to block the cross and it goes in for an own goal. Referee awards the goal saying that Fortune was not interfering with play despite already being flagged as offside by the assistant and without Fortune in an offside position and defender playing to the whistle he would never have slid in to try to cut out the cross in the first place.

Tonight is a game we have to win, not just for hopes of automatics but because its not too late yet for a dramatic slump of form to cost a playoff place altogether.

 

[Skippyjack]

Let's face it, we're never going to make up 9 points on Watford with this squad we got, we struggle to win consecutive games, our highest streak is 3 games won in a row, we need to win 7/8 out of 9 to have a chance, it's just not going to happen, it hasn't happened all season, Brentford are capable though. We just have to consolidate a play off spot, 3 or 4 wins will probably get us a place, but it's about how we play that'll determine our fate

 

[sainthelens]

Has eteb emerged from the Priory yet ?

 

[PSumbler]

https://twitter.com/SwansOfficial/status/1378044558618079234

 

[PSumbler]

https://twitter.com/BCFC/status/1378044621327114242

 

[Swanjaxs]

Whittaker back on the bench, fuk it I'm out .

 

[bakajack]

Let's face it, we're never going to make up 9 points on Watford with this squad we got, we struggle to win consecutive games, our highest streak is 3 games won in a row, we need to win 7/8 out of 9 to have a chance, it's just not going to happen, it hasn't happened all season, Brentford are capable though. We just have to consolidate a play off spot, 3 or 4 wins will probably get us a place, but it's about how we play that'll determine our fate

If we can get back to our defensive form that made attackers afraid to play against us then we will do well in the playoffs, it isn't as if we are playing with overwhelming firepower up top to carry us through defensive mistakes.