[theo_luddite]

NO, I'd say the difference is Levi Colwill and to a lesser extent Pearson in defence, and of course the elephant that is no longer in the room that is O'Brien - we've nobody at the back at the moment that is comfortable on the ball and for the most part nobody willing to run it out of defence or even at them from midfield. We also don't stop them in midfield. Toffolo was missing for most of the start of last season and didn't really perform until the 2nd half of the season.

Even Tino didn't do much of it tonight but he wasn't helped by a defence that didn't look for a runner in front of them when everyone in the stands could see them in or about to head into acres of space right in front of them. Nah, go for the 80yd punt across the park rather than the simple 20yd free pass in front of them. Pass, pass, pass across the halfway line. The one occasion we played it forward to feet - oh look, Wardy scored. Apart from that we had 2/3rd possession and 1/3rd of the shots at goal.

You can't blame the keeper when they've two free men lining up to take a free pot-shot. Who the hell should have been marking them and where the hell were they?

Apart from that I ended up walking back to New Street as just for a change, the train back from Bordesley to Moor Street was running 15-20 minutes late. Every bloody time we play down there it happens. At least it wasn't January this season. I caught the same train I would have been on if West Midlands Trains could actually keep to their timetable. I still had time for a pint of neck oil before catching my last bus home.

Bring on the Stokies, never mind Both Ends.