Birmingham set to climb closer to survival
The argument as to whether cup runs help or hinder clubs battling against relegation is one with plenty of positive and negative examples with no definitive proof either way but Birmingham are doing a great job showcasing the plus side of such success in knockout competitions.
Prior to their Carling Cup semi-final second leg victory over West Ham they suffered a humiliating 5-0 defeat away to Manchester United.
The joy of reaching Wembley and desire of the players to secure a starting spot against Arsenal has transformed the Blues' fortunes though, and they have built on it with a draw with Manchester City and successive 1-0 triumphs over West Ham and Stoke, with even Nikola Zigic suddenly scoring.
They are now three points clear of the drop zone and perhaps three wins shy of safety, so by seeing off Newcastle tonight, they would put space between themselves and the bottom three, giving them a chance to focus on their upcoming FA Cup tie with Sheffield Wednesday and the Carling Cup Final.
Alex McLeish's side are available at a tempting price of [2.72] to deliver in their game in hand and those odds reflect that, while the Magpies are hardly soaring under Alan Pardew, they are very hard to beat, losing only one of their last seven in the Premier League, and that by one goal at Fulham.
The north-east giants have however lost five of their last eight on the road, failing to score on recent trips to Fulham and Blackburn, so there's enough evidence to suggest that Birmingham are capable of scrapping their fifth home league win of the campaign, with 1-0 again worth considering at [8.6].
Zigic is [3.4] to score for the fourth straight match - [8.4] to grab the opener if you subscribe to the low-scoring theory - but the man the visiting supporters may fear will find the net is former Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins at [3.5] to strike at any time.
Disagree? The last five meetings between the teams at St Andrew's have finished level and a repeat is [3.35]...
Published: 15 Feb 2011
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