2,500 Blues travelled to sunny South Yorkshire on 27th August expecting to head back down the M1 with at least a point. Instead, they left the New York Stadium empty-handed and with more questions than answers. Rotherham United’s 37-year-old centre-back and captain helped himself to a brace as the Millers extended their impressive return to the Championship with a 2-0 victory. Oddschecker, which compares odds and provides free offers on the World Cup, as well as English and European football, had tipped the Millers for a fourth consecutive relegation from the second tier. However, Paul Warne’s side has the experts eating their words. For Birmingham on the other hand, relegation looks like a very real possibility, even just six games into the new campaign.
Battling Millers show their class
Many pundits have described Rotherham United as a long-ball team that bully their opposition. That couldn’t have been further from the case on this sunny afternoon. The Reds sliced the Blues open time and again. And while they do like the odd punt upfield, it’s naive to say that hoofball is the style of football that Paul Warne has implemented during his six years in charge.
Certain Rotherham players showed class.
It’s easy to see why Republic of Ireland international Chiedozie Ogbene has plenty of potential suitors. The pacey frontman is revelling in his new role up top rather than on the right wing, and was a constant thorn in the side of City’s defence. His strike partner Conor Washington – who raised a few eyebrows when he sealed his switch to the New York Stadium despite a goal-dry stint in League One with Charlton – worked his socks off all afternoon. Arsenal’s 18-year-old loanee Brooke Norton-Cuffy also demonstrated why he is highly rated at the Emirates with an impressive debut.
But it was rightfully Richard Wood who stole the plaudits. Captain fantastic’s double – the first a trademark bullet header, the second a glancing finish from Dan Barlaser’s delicious delivery – was enough to fire the hosts up to 5th place in the Championship table, the club’s best ever start in the second tier.
Where now for the Blues?
Back-to-back defeats against two newly promoted sides have done nothing to ease the pressure on manager John Eustace. His team lies fourth bottom in the division, only out of the relegation zone on goal difference, and with upcoming fixtures against Norwich City, Preston North End, and Swansea City, Birmingham’s slump looks like it could go on for some time.
