Christmas, New Year, Tahith Chong and Riley McGree

The above two players are not Birmingham City players and yet their immediate future will decide the fate of this club over the next six months. On Saturday we face Blackburn Rovers in our 23^rd game of the season. Halfway and our current points per game would see us at around 53 points come the end off the season. Probably safe from the drop but with no sight of the play-offs, without either of the two above we could fall well below that total.

Reading the local press, who are only too glad to be as negative as they can be, you would think we will go out of business let alone get relegated. The blog hacks just regurgitate the negativity from the Mail so we get three times s many ‘blows’ as ‘boosts’ from all quarters.

Rumour, rumour and more rumours|

This blog is different. 60 plus years of following #BCFC has taught me to believe only what you see and ignore most of the Birmingham Mail’s speculation.

Let’s start with Mcgree. Does he look like a player who wants to leave?  Does he look like a player who is merely keeping warm a place for Chong or even James? No, the guy is busting a gut in every game. When pro footballers have their future decided they don’t do that. Charlotte FC won’t want a burned out or injured player in the ranks come January. Neither will they want a player who would be rather somewhere else. So, let’s not rule him out of the line up just yet.

As for Chong I never bought this ‘out until April’ nonsense. The description of the circumstances that put him out initially wasn’t commensurate with a 6-month absence. Double fractures don’t take that long to heal. We have reports from the manager that Chong is in front of schedule in his recovery. Guess what? Tahith showed up at St Andrews for the Cardiff game. Again, disinterested pro- footballers don’t make a 180-mile round trip to watch Championship football strugglers. The boy is motivated and wants to play. Seeing Riley in the form he’s in gives him plenty of motivation.

What will happen ? That’s the question on everyone’s mind

So, what’s likely to happen? Let’s imagine that neither play in the second half of the season. Our points return will drop and we can spend a few months looking over our shoulder. A relegation scrap is certainly a possibility.

With one or other in the team we could expect an improvement on the first half tally and a place in the top ten. What about if we have both in the side until May? I personally don’t rule that out. Craig Gardner pulled a rabbit out of the hat with Troy Deeney. Who saw that coming?

The two of them pulling the strings in midfield is a mouthwatering prospect. Remember Gardner, Bowyer and Ferguson? This would be on a par.

If the Blackburn fixture goes ahead remember to take your vaxi-passports and a big coat and a woolly hat. Having sent a team of trialists there last year and got spanked we need to prove a point. Let’s keep 11 players on the field and reach that 30-point mark at half way. Don’t miss the best Football Talk show on Monday 7.30.  The TILTON TALK SHOW and its LIVE!