xB | Expected Birmingham

Football data, Blues bias. Player analysis, squad strategy and Championship trends - every Weds and Sun on Substack.

[xB | Expected Birmingham @ExpectedBham]

John Murtough starts at Birmingham on Monday.

At United, Mainoo came through on his watch. Antony arrived for £82m.

He inherits a style nobody wrote down and a squad already at a 25-man limit.

Where should he start?

🔗https://t.co/2Xji5TlfMN

#BCFC

[xB | Expected Birmingham @ExpectedBham]

No idea how to watch the this game, but Michut and Yegoian are playing against each other in Fortuna Sittard vs Excelsior.

2 players I think could improve Blues. Michut is out of contract in the summer. ex-Sunderland, PSG and French u20s player. Seems a bit of a "maverick"

[Korea Football News @KORFootballNews]

FC Seoul have secured their first K League 1 crown in a decade, breaking the nine-year duopoly of the two Hyundai powerhouses.

[xB | Expected Birmingham @ExpectedBham]

10/10

January is Murtough's first window.

The scorecard points to a central player who receives in front of the box and plays the ball into it.

Blues are at the 25-man limit, so exits come first.

Full piece:
https://t.co/2Xji5TlNCl

[xB | Expected Birmingham @ExpectedBham]

1/10

Blues lost 1-0 at Cardiff yesterday. The piece below went out before kick-off and the match made its point for it.

Birmingham have got much better at going quick and direct.

What they can't yet do is control a game through the middle when it calls for it.

🧵

#BCFC

[xB | Expected Birmingham @ExpectedBham]

9/10

The academy is where his record is strongest. Mainoo went from nine-year-old to first-team starter on his watch.

Blues' first team trains at EPIC and the academy at Kings Norton. With Mike Rigg gone, the link between the two needs an owner.

[Irish Independent @Independent_ie]

Shamrock Rovers secure sixth League title in seven years

https://t.co/JL02yCMtGy

[xB | Expected Birmingham @ExpectedBham]

Mustapha Isah is another player that's having a great start to the season.

22. Striker. RAAL La Louvière.

[DAZN België @DAZN_BENL]

⚡️ | Een prachtige soloactie van Mustapha Isah bezorgt RAAL La Louvière de drie punten. 🔥🤪

[xB | Expected Birmingham @ExpectedBham]

Chris Lokesa, 21, LW.

Having a great start to the season with Beveren.

[DAZN Belgique @DAZN_BEFR]

👠 | WOW, Christian Brüls, quelle passe décisive ! 😍👀 #SKBLOM

[xB | Expected Birmingham @ExpectedBham]

Feel a bit for Vázquez. Not a good performance, but horrible conditions to hold the ball up. No one around him.

Best football was at Getafe in a proper 4-4-2. Do you go all in on that or a half-way house, that doesn't really suit him?

[xB | Expected Birmingham @ExpectedBham]

John Murtough starts at Birmingham on Monday.

At United, Mainoo came through on his watch. Antony arrived for £82m.

He inherits a style nobody wrote down and a squad already at a 25-man limit.

Where should he start?

🔗https://t.co/2Xji5TlfMN

#BCFC

[xB | Expected Birmingham @ExpectedBham]

@GroutyAgain @TonyHawes7 Not much choice tbf?

[xB | Expected Birmingham @ExpectedBham]

Cardiff in a false position, clearly. Very good.

#BCFC find it hard to control a midfield and shows in this type of match.

Moylan, Colwill, Robertson - 84 complete passes
Stanno, Iwata, Solis - 51. Stanno had 3 complete passes.

Next level up is through improving the middle.

[xB | Expected Birmingham @ExpectedBham]

@TonyHawes7 My best guess is CD knows we don't have the players for it atm, so we're playing to our strengths (quick and direct). Against some teams, it's not going to be enough.

I don't want to overreact either, they're a good side! Just that's where we need to develop imo.

[xB | Expected Birmingham @ExpectedBham]

Also, if a Blues winger isn't on song, we really struggle.