Birmingham City

Blues suffer McSheffrey setback
Birmingham have had a third bid for striker Gary McSheffrey rejected by Coventry City. The Sky Blues have already rejected two offers from Blues as they are keen to hold on to the services of the 23-year-old. Coventry managing director Paul Fletcher said: \"We thank Birmingham for their interest but it has never been in our thoughts to let him go. \"We are looking forward to the new season with him in the team.\" McSheffrey scored 17 goals for the Sky Blues last season and Fletcher added: \"From the outset, my chairman Geoffrey Robinson and I have been of the opinion that we should not sell Gary McSheffrey. \"We have again underlined our intention to keep him at the Ricoh Arena.\" McSheffrey started his career at Coventry but has had loan spells at Stockport and Luton.

Birmingham capture third Gunner
Birmingham have recruited their third Arsenal player on loan, securing the services of striker Nicklas Bendtner. Imposing Dane Bendtner, 18, has signed a deal to stay at St Andrews until January, while Sebastian Larsson, 21, has finalised a season-long loan deal. Swede Larsson has played 12 first-team games for Arsenal and has appeared at both left-back and in midfield. The pair join fellow Gunner Fabrice Muamba, 18, who had sealed a 12-month loan move earlier in the summer. Bendtner scored 18 goals in 24 matches for Arsenal's reserves last season and was on target on the club's pre-season tour in Austria. This summer he became the youngest player to be selected for Denmark's under-21 team and scored two goals on his debut against Spain.

Birmingham 2-1 Colchester
Ten-man Birmingham recovered from the setback of having striker Cameron Jerome red-carded to beat Colchester. Dudley Campbell gave the home side the lead when he headed in from six yards after a cross by Bruno N'Gotty. Richard Garcia equalised for Colchester with a left-foot shot before Jerome - on for just four minutes - was sent-off for lashing out at Karl Duguid. But Niklas Bendtner rescued a win for the Blues when he struck home a shot after 79 minutes. The result was harsh on Championship newcomers Colchester who more than held their own for spells against one of the favourites for the title. Jerome's dismissal looked like the Blues might have to settle for a draw as they started out on their attempt to earn promotion back to the Premiership at the first attempt. The £3m summer signing from Cardiff had a debut to forget with his dismissal for violent conduct. But, just a two days after signing on loan from Arsenal, Bendtner drilled home a low drive to the relief of the St Andrews fans. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Birmingham boss Steve Bruce: \"You saw a bit of class from the young lad (Bendtner) and we are delighted to have him here. \"I think there were 15 clubs, including Celtic and Rangers, who were interested so I am well pleased.\" Bruce said he might appeal against the Cameron Jerome's red card. \"I have seen the incident on TV and it looks harsh.\" Colchester boss Geraint Williams: \"You can say it was a cruel result for us but we let ourselves down. \"We had the extra man and looked as if we might possibly win, but we got caught and that's a harsh lesson. \"I thought there were a lot of good things from our point of view. We have come to the home of the promotion favourites and competed.\" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Kelly, N'Gotty, Tebily, Sadler, Danns, Johnson, Clemence (Bendtner 56), Dunn, Forssell (Jerome 65), Campbell (Larsson 56). Subs Not Used: Doyle, Muamba. Sent Off: Jerome (70). Booked: Dunn. Goals: Campbell 30, Bendtner 79. Colchester: Davison, Halford, Brown, Baldwin, Elokobi, Izzet (White 72), Jackson, Watson, Duguid, Cureton (Guy 82), Garcia (Iwelumo 67). Subs Not Used: Gerken, Richards. Goals: Garcia 51. Att: 24,238. Ref: K Stroud (Hampshire).

Blues not to appeal Jerome card
Birmingham have decided not to appeal against Cameron Jerome's red card against Colchester, meaning the striker will miss the next three games. The £3m signing was sent off three minutes into his debut after appearing to strike Karl Duguid in the face. The 19-year-old will now miss the matches against Sunderland, Stoke and Crystal Palace. Boss Steve Bruce said: \"I have worked with him for three weeks and there isn't a malicious bone in his body.\"

Sunderland v Birmingham
New Sunderland manager Niall Quinn adds new signing Clive Clarke to his squad for his first home game in charge, in place of Danny Collins at left-back. Nyron Nosworthy (abdominal strain) and Andy Welsh (ankle) are out and Kevin Kyle (foot) and Liam Lawrence (dead leg) are doubts. Birmingham's Cameron Jerome is banned after the red card he received on his debut against Colchester. DJ Campbell and Mikael Forssell are doubts and Radhi Jaidi is rested.

Large police operation for match
Police are preparing for a major operation ahead of Saturday's Championship football match between Stoke City and Birmingham City. Disturbances broke out when the clubs last met at the Britannia Stadium during an FA Cup tie in February, when 39 people were arrested. An expected full house combined with roadworks and Saturday shopping traffic are likely to cause serious congestion. Fans are urged to try to avoid taking their cars. Stoke supporters are urged to use the shuttle bus from Glebe Street to get to the ground, while Birmingham fans are asked to use organised coaches direct to the venue, where there are also roadworks nearby. Traffic heading for the Britannia from the A500 will have to continue to the exit near the large Tesco on Bath Road, which suffers from regular Saturday congestion without extra football traffic. Supt Mick Harrison said: \"We're expecting a large home and away following at the stadium this weekend, and it is vital that anyone intending to watch the match remembers that the slip road off the A50 towards Blurton is now closed while a new access road is being built.\"

Stoke 0-0 Birmingham
Mikael Forssell missed a second-half penalty as Birmingham's 100% start to the season was ended at the Britannia by a dominant Stoke outfit. The Finnish striker allowed Steve Simonsen to palm his tame spot-kick away after David Brammer had felled loanee Fabrice Muamba in the box. The goal would have been harsh on the hosts though after a superior display. Vincent Pericard was at the heart of their best moves, while Peter Sweeney's free-kick was well saved late on. In truth, though, neither side looked particularly threatening in a dour encounter. After a forgettable first-half, in which the first shot on target did not arrive until the 29th minute, it took the penalty incident to spark the game into life. Muamba looked to be going nowhere when he was scythed down needlessly by Brammer, but Forssell failed to punish him in what proved the Blues' only decent attempt on goal. Stoke on the other hand dominated possession and forced their way into decent positions on several occasions, but the fact that Maik Taylor only had two saves of note to make - at Pericard's feet and then from Sweeney's late free-kick - told its own story. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stoke manager Tony Pulis: \"We were disappointed we weren't winning at half-time. We had enough possession and enough play. \"We just lacked maybe a little bit of quality in the final third but if we'd scored we would have gone on and won the game comfortably. \"Goals change games and that was the difference. Simonsen made a great save but, if anything, we deserved it.\" Birmingham boss Steve Bruce: \"It was hard work, especially in the first half, but in the second half we put Dunny (David Dunn) on up the pitch and tried to create something. \"The young lads will learn from that because, again, we had five lads under the age of 21 out there. \"We'll get better, we'll have to, but we stuck at it against a team who were well organised, disciplined and hard working and we're pleased that we've come away with something.\"

Birmingham capture £4m McSheffrey
Birmingham have signed striker Gary McSheffrey from Championship rivals Coventry for £4m. Coventry have finally accepted a bid from the St Andrews club after rejecting four earlier offers for the 24-year-old. McSheffrey passed a Blues medical on Tuesday and has signed a four-year deal with the option of a further two years. McSheffrey has come through the ranks at Coventry and scored 17 goals for the Sky Blues last season. Coventry managing director Paul Fletcher says the decision was made after consultations between the \"board, manager and the player himself\". \"It was never our intention to let Gary go but we have made a decision which we believe is in the best interests of the club,\" he told the club's website. \"Gary has been a tremendous servant to the club but there comes a time in everyone's career when they have the opportunity to move on. \"Although I understand that this decision will be unpopular with many of our supporters, I would urge all of our fans to look long-termn towards our goal of reaching the Premiership within the next three years. \"This money will help manager Micky Adams to strengthen the squad and create a better team to get us there.\"

Birmingham v Crystal Palace
Birmingham boss Steve Bruce could hand debuts to striker Gary McSheffrey and defender Radhi Jaidi. Striker DJ Campbell could come into the reckoning after making good progress following a hamstring tweak. Crystal Palace strikers Dougie Freedman and Clinton Morrison are pushing for starting places after impressive performances off the bench. Palace boss Peter Taylor has no fresh injury worries to contend with but he could switch formation to 4-4-2.

Birmingham 2-1 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace's 100% league record ended at St Andrews as Birmingham came from behind to earn victory. The Eagles, who arrived in the Midlands on the back of three successive wins, netted first thanks to a deflected Jobi McAnuff effort. Nicklas Bendtner equalised for the hosts before half-time. On-loan Arsenal midfielder Sebastian Larsson then slotted home from David Dunn's left-wing cross deep into second-half stoppage time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Birmingham boss Steve Bruce (after Damien Johnson reacted angrily to being substituted): \"Damien was disappointed by the ironic cheers from the fans which greeted his substitution. \"People should remember he's been a great servant but he has to handle stick. The matter will be dealt with.\" Crystal Palace Peter Taylor: \"I think a draw would have been a fair result but it was great play by David Dunn for their winner. \"I told the players I was really pleased. Those were honest words because if we keep playing like that away from home we'll be picking up plenty of points. \"In the meantime, I'm still working on bringing in one or two players.\" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Kelly, N'Gotty, Jaidi, Sadler, Johnson (Forssell 79), Dunn, Nafti (Larsson 65), McSheffrey, Campbell, Bendtner (Danns 73). Subs Not Used: Doyle, Tebily. Booked: Danns. Goals: Bendtner 23, Larsson 90. Crystal Palace: Kiraly, Butterfield (Lawrence 66), Cort, Hudson, Granville, McAnuff, Fletcher, Watson (Freedman 64), Kennedy, Soares, Scowcroft (Morrison 85). Subs Not Used: Flinders, Reich. Goals: McAnuff 11. Att: 20,223 Ref: M Jones (Cheshire).

Johnson sorry for loss of temper
Birmingham skipper Damien Johnson has apologised for throwing his armband and shirt to the ground after being substituted against Crystal Palace. \"When the subs were read out, there was a huge cheer,\" said the 27-year-old. \"I took that to mean the fans were glad I was being taken off and, after more than four years of service, that hurt. \"I have been told I misread the reaction of the crowd and, if that is the case, I am sorry and I hope the supporters can appreciate that.\" He added: \"I give Birmingham City my complete dedication and will continue to do so and I hope that my passion on the field can show everybody that I totally mean what I am saying. \"Once again I wholeheartedly apologise.\" Birmingham boss Steve Bruce has disciplined the midfielder and, in a statement on the club's website, he added: \"He wears his heart on his sleeve. \"We also know he has a red flash and a bit of a temper which we saw on Saturday. \"I truly believe he wrongly read the crowd's reaction but nobody likes to see what he did, and he has apologised to me, his team-mates and now, most importantly, the fans.\"

Birmingham 1-0 Shrewsbury
Sebastian Larsson was Birmingham's match-winner for the second time in four days as he hit the goal which put them into the Carling Cup second round. The on-loan Arsenal midfielder was set up for his 83rd minute winner by Gunners team-mate Nicklas Bendtner. City made 10 changes from their last match but still dominated with Shrews keeper Chris MacKenzie twice denying both Neil Danns and Mikael Forssell. Ben Davies had Shrewsbury's best chance but Colin Doyle blocked his shot. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Birmingham: Doyle, Larsson, Jaidi, Martin Taylor, Gray, Kilkenny, Clemence, Muamba (Kelly 81), Danns, Forssell (Campbell 66), Jerome (Bendtner 66). Subs Not Used: Maik Taylor, Painter. Booked: Danns, Gray. Goals: Larsson 83. Shrewsbury: MacKenzie, Herd, Hope, Burton (Sharp 80), Hogg (Leslie 58), Edwards, Sorvel, Hall, Davies, Asamoah, Symes (Langmead 75). Subs Not Used: Cadwallader, Esson. Att: 12,428 Ref: J P Robinson (E Yorkshire).

Blues boss hails loanee Larsson
Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce has paid tribute to Sebastian Larsson whose late goal knocked Shrewsbury Town out of the Carling Cup. The 21-year-old Arsenal loanee also scored last weekend's injury-time winner against Crystal Palace. \"I have been absolutely delighted with Larsson, the value of him is that he can play anywhere,\" said Bruce. \"We knew after watching him at Arsenal that he is always capable of scoring a goal, I think he got six last year.\"

Cardiff 2-0 Birmingham
Cardiff leaped above Birmingham at the top of the Championship with a rampant show in front of a near sell-out 20,109 crowd at Ninian Park. Michael Chopra starred in a storming first half, Joe Ledley opening the scoring on 12 minutes by burying a clinical left-foot shot from 12 yards. The Blues rallied after the break, sub Cameron Jerome blowing a good chance. But a poor defensive clearance fell to Steven Thompson who fed Paul Parry, the winger firing a decisive right-footer. The win took the Bluebirds to the top of the second tier for the first time since March 1971 - when they were knocked off their perch by Birmingham. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cardiff manager Dave Jones: \"We started like a house on fire after taking a bit of flak following Tuesday's defeat to Barnet. \"We will get better and we will get stronger, but in the last few weeks we have matched the top two teams in this division in every department and we didn't freeze in front of a huge home crowd. \"The noise was electric and the crowd deserved the cheers as much as the team at the end. \"In the past as a manager I have had seasons when we didn't have a win in the first seven games yet still went up. \"I've also had seasons where we started well but didn't win a thing so we'll keep everyone's feet on the ground and make preparation the key.\" Birmingham manager Steve Bruce: \"The simple fact is that we were just not good enough particularly in the first half. \"You cannot expect to come to a place like Cardiff, play poorly and get something from the game. \"I spoke to Bryan Robson and he told me that playing Cardiff has been West Brom's toughest game of the season so I knew exactly what to expect. \"I am just disappointed that only three or four of my players played to their full potential. We have invested heavily in improving our goal ratio but you cannot afford to miss chances like we did today. \"Ninian Park is a fantastic place to play, there are not many left like it in the league but many of my players are used to the Premiership and World Cups so they should not have been affected by the atmosphere or surroundings.\" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cardiff: Alexander, Gilbert, Loovens, Johnson, McNaughton, Parry, McPhail, Scimeca, Ledley, Thompson (Campbell 89), Chopra. Subs Not Used: Flood, Glombard, Kamara, Gunter. Booked: Chopra. Goals: Ledley 12, Parry 75. Birmingham: Doyle, Kelly (Larsson 58), N'Gotty, Jaidi, Sadler, Johnson, Nafti, Dunn, McSheffrey, Bendtner, Campbell (Jerome 58). Subs Not Used: Legzdins, Forssell, Tebily. Booked: N'Gotty, Johnson. Att: 20,109 Ref: P Crossley (Kent).

Seven charged after match trouble
Seven people have been charged after violence erupted at Cardiff City's game against Birmingham City on Saturday. South Wales Police said there were skirmishes before and during the Championship match, which left three stewards injured. Violence flared before kick-off at the Ninian Park and Kings Castle pubs and by the Jeff Winter car sales centre. In the second half, 45 seats were pulled up in the away supporters' end as more trouble occurred. Three people have been charged with public order offences, three with assault and one with causing criminal damage. They are likely to appear in court this week.

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