Unbeaten in July and Top of the league

VOLUME 2 No 2 August 5^th 2022

Week 2 and still dreaming? Blues having gone unbeaten in July for the first time in their history and now sit top of the league. Just a moment while I slap myself in the face to make sure I am actually awake!

Okay silly stuff over let’s get down to serious analysis of what has happened in the last six days. A dour show at Luton where we kept a much-vaunted Luton Town side, who were everybody’s favourites to win the playoffs, at arm’s length for over 90 minutes. New Keeper, John Ruddy was hardly troubled except for an early regulation save.

Our new back three, which has been criticized by Blues fans including me, as a formation were rock solid. Three defensive giants who all know the position they are in makes a world of difference. Lee Bowyer tried to make it work with personnel who were all at sea. Harley Dean was too slow, and his loaned replacements were taken from us leaving an 18-year-old looking our best defender. On the left, Friend was lost for half a season leaving Colin and then Pederson to flounder along.

Against Huddersfield, Sanderson, Roberts and Trusty (what a signing he is?) were imperious. Simply deposing the Town forward at will and were never rushed into a desperate or rash tackle. Well for at least an hour they didn’t. After some pressure the Town cut through them through a knife through butter to engineer a fine goal. (Ward 61’)

This was followed by some headless chicken play by the whole team. Clever subs, with a defence which settled back down, and with a bit of determination held out. How many 2-2 ‘s did we give up last season.? Too many.

The attacking prowess at Luton was poor. When is Bacuna going to create a goal? When are our strikers going to get a shot in?  Well, it took only a few minutes before the ‘Chairman’ was put in his place. A crisp move found Bacuna on the right. Leaving the full back for dead the cross found Hogan diving through a sea of legs to head home.

After 40 more minutes of football not seen at b9 for some time the second came through ‘The Polish Lad’ with others queuing up to score.

So, what’s the difference? We are playing a system that suits the players available. That is all over the pitch. Players that looked jaded, (Colin & Woods) have come alive again. A more commanding keeper has also helped enormously.

John Eustace is impressing me. The results are very welcome and surprising but we are still are no better of than at this stage last year. One gets the feeling that Blues could go another month averaging close to 2 points a game. When we do that the expectation will return.

With no trains from here to Brum that will get me back before Saturday afternoon I was fortunate to see Blues TV presentation. What an excellent job they are doing. I’ll probably run through the game again tomorrow and then relax with a bottle of Chardonnay and an Oyster or two in + 30 temperatures. Sussex by the sea. The rest of the championship can boil themselves chasing the league leaders. #TTFN

THE TILTON TALK SHOW

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