It’ll be all Bright in the end for Birmingham City

Blues 1 Brighton 2

So near but yet so far. Blues’ first game under the stewardship of Gianfranco Zola reared so many positives but ended in eventual heartbreak.

After taking the lead, two late goals determined Blues’ fate and ensured Brighton’s unbeaten record stretched to 16 games. But the result didn’t tell the entire story.

Zola was bold with his team selection, opting for a 4-3-3 formation that worked so well for 70 minutes. The football Blues played was refreshing. An attacking side looking to pass the ball. If Zola can bring this level of performance out of the team, especially the likes of Stephen Gleeson, Jonathan Grounds and Davis Davis on a consistent basis, Blues will win more than they’ll lose.

The Italian’s substitutes were called into question. Josh Cogley was introduced into an unfamiliar position and looked out of place and Robert Tesche was like a dog chasing his tail. It was the two subs who were undone for Brighton’s equaliser. Both were beaten too easily. But looking into it further, it was Michael Morrison’s decision to mark thin air rather than the goal scorer, Anthony Knockaert, that was the telling blow.

For all of Blues’ toil and attacking intent, they simply ran out of steam. How do you not sit back when the opposition effectively have five strikers on the pitch and have penned you inside your own half? The pressure Brighton put Blues under for the last 20 mins was relentless and Chris Hughton proved once again what a top manager and tactician he is. He was rewarded with a late Glenn Murray header.

As for Zola, it was seven minutes short of being the perfect start. We can’t knock him yet. This isn’t his squad. He’s inherited a team with a mentality of playing a certain way and you cannot change that after one training session. We need to take the positives. The level of performance was better, regardless of the outcome.

You cannot settle for theories such as ‘under Rowett we would have held on’ because they simply can’t be proven.

What we have witnessed from our manager so far is a commitment to play football and a vision to entertain. It’ll take time.

Zola now has an important nine days until Blues take to the pitch at Derby County. And after that, the transfer window opens which could also hold the key, or the gun, to any lingering play-off hopes.