By Order of The Peaky Blinders. Away to Brum Tues Oct 22nd 19-45.

[TANGODANCER]

Moving on, like waking from a bad dream, we see what the oracle holds and shudder.

Birmingham are sailing with the wind right now, but 8 points isn't the worlds end away to where we sit sulking eleven places adrift. Realistically and playing at home (them) we shouldn't be the fancied bet, but hey, it's football and strange things tend to happen. Baggy caps and razor blades are as likely to be seen now as footballers born in Brum. No fog and cobblestones in Sutton Coldfield now, just rich footballers. Can we upset the odds and get ourselves back on track? Not a time for faint hearts and negativity, so get stuck in lads and take the fight to the foe.. Que Sera Sera...

[Worthy4England]

If we play like yesterday 3-0 Brum.

God forbid we put in a decent showing. He'll still be here in 2030. In L1.

[jmjhb]

Free hit for me. Anything but a defeat would be fantastic.

[truewhite15]

Free hit for me. Anything but a defeat would be fantastic.

It's absolutely not a free hit. It won't be a surprise if we lose, but the manner of the performance is what will speak volumes here. Birmingham are our target. They're where we want to be, aspire to be, expect to be based on comments from the board, from the management, from the players, and based on the investment we've put in.

Yes, Birmingham have spent shitloads. More than they should have been allowed to. But that doesn't change the target. We need to show that we can challenge them, frustrate them, cause them problems over the majority of the 90 minutes. If we do that and still lose, fine. If we don't lay a glove on them, though, then that's a big problem.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Got a feeling this game won’t change anything.

[Worthy4England]

Me as well. To be fair, not sure what would shift the dial to positive he can take us up. Unfortunately there's lots of opportunity to reinforce he can't.

[Harry Genshaw]

I'm struggling to think of a game like this where we've even turned up, let alone win, under Evatt. The nearest I can think of is that 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday a couple of seasons back. We went a goal down early on but dug in, got an equaliser before dominating the ball for the remainder. We created nowt but it felt like a good point.

I've seen nothing this season to suggest we can weather a Brum storm when it surely comes.

1-3 or 1-4 loss.

[officer_dibble]

Barnsley play off first leg.
That’s the performance we need.
Be very surprised if we get it. Sort of get the ‘free hit’. We’re so far off top two there isn’t anyone expecting anything - all pre season optimism is long gone now. I’d imagine the most optimistic view now is we make a tilt for the play offs either with or without the current management team. We’ve not recruited well enough to be top two regardless of who is in charge.

I think it will be similar to Pompey last season. 2 or 3 nil and we’ll miss a big chance early doors.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Me as well. To be fair, not sure what would shift the dial to positive he can take us up. Unfortunately there's lots of opportunity to reinforce he can't.

Winning 4-0 would help. But as I say I've got a feeling it won't happen...

Maybe, maybe losing 0-5 would move the dial among the suits (the other way, obvz). If – and it's not a world I want to see; just theorising - if we then lost at home to Posh on Saturday and the atmosphere turned, Sharon etc will not just realise that many fans think he can't do it, but start to think that they may well be right.

If we cast our minds back, not just to post-Huddersfield but post-Oxford, we'll remember that the doubt was whether we could win enough Big Games to go up. Beating the small fry wasn't in question. Which is why after Huddersfield I said he had to win every game bar Arsenal until Birmingham, and then this run of top-end opponents - Brum, Posh, Stockport (Rotherham will be postponed for internationals) - would be the true test. Truth be told, we've not even looked reliably like beating the small fry.

Brum away might be the hardest task in this season or many others, but when I asked (you and generally) whether top-six was good enough it wasn't just idle speculation. What does Sharon think?

[Worthy4England]

I assumed "free hit" for a league game was just wummery...but there's certainly a case for telling the starting XI there's no bugger "expecting a win" not because it's a free hit, but because we've played so fcuking poorly no one still believes we're good enough. Job done.

[Worthy4England]

Me as well. To be fair, not sure what would shift the dial to positive he can take us up. Unfortunately there's lots of opportunity to reinforce he can't.

Winning 4-0 would help. But as I say I've got a feeling it won't happen...

Maybe, maybe losing 0-5 would move the dial among the suits (the other way, obvz). If – and it's not a world I want to see; just theorising - if we then lost at home to Posh on Saturday and the atmosphere turned, Sharon etc will not just realise that many fans think he can't do it, but start to think that they may well be right.

If we cast our minds back, not just to post-Huddersfield but post-Oxford, we'll remember that the doubt was whether we could win enough Big Games to go up. Beating the small fry wasn't in question. Which is why after Huddersfield I said he had to win every game bar Arsenal until Birmingham, and then this run of top-end opponents - Brum, Posh, Stockport (Rotherham will be postponed for internationals) - would be the true test. Truth be told, we've not even looked reliably like beating the small fry.

Brum away might be the hardest task in this season or many others, but when I asked (you and generally) whether top-six was good enough it wasn't just idle speculation. What does Sharon think?

Winning 4-0 wouldn't convince me now, mate. I think we have a decent L1 squad. We can win games of football. I still, despite us trying hard to put contrary evidence in front of me, think we'll finish top 6. I don't think he gets us up.

I've been trying to find Shazza's post-Oxford interview. I think there were some clues in there.

[TANGODANCER]

A win here would make faeries seem a reality, but then again, I've never really discounted them.

[BWFC_Insane]

Me as well. To be fair, not sure what would shift the dial to positive he can take us up. Unfortunately there's lots of opportunity to reinforce he can't.

Winning 4-0 would help. But as I say I've got a feeling it won't happen...

Maybe, maybe losing 0-5 would move the dial among the suits (the other way, obvz). If – and it's not a world I want to see; just theorising - if we then lost at home to Posh on Saturday and the atmosphere turned, Sharon etc will not just realise that many fans think he can't do it, but start to think that they may well be right.

If we cast our minds back, not just to post-Huddersfield but post-Oxford, we'll remember that the doubt was whether we could win enough Big Games to go up. Beating the small fry wasn't in question. Which is why after Huddersfield I said he had to win every game bar Arsenal until Birmingham, and then this run of top-end opponents - Brum, Posh, Stockport (Rotherham will be postponed for internationals) - would be the true test. Truth be told, we've not even looked reliably like beating the small fry.

Brum away might be the hardest task in this season or many others, but when I asked (you and generally) whether top-six was good enough it wasn't just idle speculation. What does Sharon think?

Winning 4-0 wouldn't convince me now, mate. I think we have a decent L1 squad. We can win games of football. I still, despite us trying hard to put contrary evidence in front of me, think we'll finish top 6. I don't think he gets us up.

I've been trying to find Shazza's post-Oxford interview. I think there were some clues in there.

I’m at the point where every hour this man is still here is a negative for the club.

Should have gone after Wembley and he clearly knows that too. Taking the money because he’s unemployable anywhere else. He couldn’t care less about the future of this club - if he did he’d have handed his notice in after Wembley. Might have saved his career too. Too late now.

The squad is very good but lacks any winning mentality or real drive because the manager instils none. We will win games because of the quality we have. But it’s held back by the management and coaching setup.

[Harry Genshaw]

Barnsley play off first leg.
That’s the performance we need.

Good shout. I'd put that one out of my mind, probably because of what happened afterwards but they got the approach exactly right that night. Played football in the right areas and went long, and quick, at the right times.

[nicholaldo]

I'm struggling to think of a game like this where we've even turned up, let alone win, under Evatt. The nearest I can think of is that 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday a couple of seasons back. We went a goal down early on but dug in, got an equaliser before dominating the ball for the remainder. We created nowt but it felt like a good point.

Which, if I remember correctly, prompted claims of us being the best in the league.

[nicholaldo]

I've been trying to find Shazza's post-Oxford interview. I think there were some clues in there.

The claim was that Evatt and Markham "excel" which I thought was an unusual thing to say given the circumstances we'd found ourselves in.

[nicholaldo]

I don't think we'll get blown away, albeit I'm not expecting a good result.

I could see a 0-1, 0-2, 1-2.

[TANGODANCER]

I’m at the point where every hour this man is still here is a negative for the club.

Should have gone after Wembley and he clearly knows that too. Taking the money because he’s unemployable anywhere else. He couldn’t care less about the future of this club - if he did he’d have handed his notice in after Wembley. Might have saved his career too. Too late now.

The squad is very good but lacks any winning mentality or real drive because the manager instils none. We will win games because of the quality we have. But it’s held back by the management and coaching setup.

Any chance of a day without Evatt-bashing? I don't like lots of things/folk; but they also may not like me. Charity begins at home, so they say.

[DJBlu]

If we win then I suspect it'll be "a fluke", if we draw, "not good enough", if we lose, "I told you so".

Bollocks to the "excuses" like players out and they've spent 40 million. Evatt has had 5 years and a few transfer windows and should have this team absolutely destroying this league.

Please let me know if I've missed anything.

[DJBlu]

Me as well. To be fair, not sure what would shift the dial to positive he can take us up. Unfortunately there's lots of opportunity to reinforce he can't.

Winning 4-0 would help. But as I say I've got a feeling it won't happen...

Maybe, maybe losing 0-5 would move the dial among the suits (the other way, obvz). If – and it's not a world I want to see; just theorising - if we then lost at home to Posh on Saturday and the atmosphere turned, Sharon etc will not just realise that many fans think he can't do it, but start to think that they may well be right.

If we cast our minds back, not just to post-Huddersfield but post-Oxford, we'll remember that the doubt was whether we could win enough Big Games to go up. Beating the small fry wasn't in question. Which is why after Huddersfield I said he had to win every game bar Arsenal until Birmingham, and then this run of top-end opponents - Brum, Posh, Stockport (Rotherham will be postponed for internationals) - would be the true test. Truth be told, we've not even looked reliably like beating the small fry.

Brum away might be the hardest task in this season or many others, but when I asked (you and generally) whether top-six was good enough it wasn't just idle speculation. What does Sharon think?

Winning 4-0 wouldn't convince me now, mate. I think we have a decent L1 squad. We can win games of football. I still, despite us trying hard to put contrary evidence in front of me, think we'll finish top 6. I don't think he gets us up.

I've been trying to find Shazza's post-Oxford interview. I think there were some clues in there.

The squad is very good but lacks any winning mentality or real drive because the manager instils none. We will win games because of the quality we have. But it’s held back by the management and coaching setup.

"Thomason is self made.

The rest of the names don’t impress me. Santos is not a great defender and has not got better. Sheehan is indulged enough to put in decent performances but has not improved to my eyes on the player we signed."

From another thread. Make your mind up ffs.