Following today’s clash between Birmingham City and Middlesbrough, here are the instant reactions from both managers.
Birmingham City hosted Middlesbrough at St Andrew’s Stadium on Tuesday March 6, with the visitors taking a one nil victory courtesy of a Patrick Bamford strike.
New Birmingham manager Garry Monk was in the dug out for his first game in charge and of course it came against former club Middlesbrough, but he will have taken some positives given the way his new side started and Sam Gallagher had their two best chances so they could’ve come out of the tie with a point in what was largely a narrow and tight affair.
Teams:
Birmingham:
Stockdale, Jenkinson, Morrison, Dean, Colin, Gardner, Kieftenbeld, Jota, Adams (Boga 75), Maghoma, Jutkiewicz (Gallagher 60).
Substitutes:
Roberts, Bramall, Ndoye, Lowe, Kuszczak.
Middlesbrough:
Randolph, Shotton (Cranie 71), Ayala, Gibson, Friend, Clayton, Besic, Traore (Baker 83), Howson, Downing, Bamford (Assombalonga 77).
Substitutes:
Konstantopoulos, Fry, Johnson, Harrison.
Speaking to the BBC’s cameras a short time after match day referee Steve Martin blew the final whistle, new Birmingham manager Garry Monk explained.
‘I thought it was a tight game, I thought we limited their threats very well, so from a defensive point of we were very, very good. When the goal went in I was very pleased with the commitment, the attitude and the passion the players showed today along with a passionate crowd. In the second half we really dominated, we dominated the whole second half. We really tried to force the equaliser, it didn’t quite happen but I saw a lot of things that I’m very pleased with.’
Middlesbrough gaffer Tony Pulis in his comparative interview explained.
‘I thought in the first half we were good, we played some good football at times and got into some really good positions. In the second half, for whatever reason, we sat back a bit more and the game became scrappy which didn’t suit us. It was a tough game today because it was Garry Monk’s first game, it’s a bounce game. When a new manager comes in you usually get a bounce effect. It gives all their players a lift, it’s a new manager, the players step up to it, the crowd are behind them so it’s difficult circumstances but the lads coped really well.’
