Negative? It’s Worse Than That.

Birmingham City manager Lee Clark has claimed that his team’s first half performances are boring the fans.

Clark failed again to inspire his team to give it their all much to the annoyance of the crowd that witnessed the lacklustre performance against Ipswich.

Ipswich on the other hand looked a different team from the one that had lost so many games under Paul Jewell, something that Mick McCarthy has installed in just a few hours of taking over.

And just to rub things in just a little bit, it was ex-Blues striker DJ Campbell who scored the goal that separated the two sides and gave Ipswich the points.

He turned and cracked home his third goal in five appearances since joining on loan from QPR and Blues heads sunk.

City just simply lacked the get up and go and the number of times they gave the ball away was just plain amateurish. Yet even when they managed to create a couple of chances in the second half, Nikola Zigic was guilty of wasting them.

Clark told reporters after the game: ‘We’re creating a negative attitude around the stadium with our first-half performances.

‘We’re starting (home) games – certainly Barnsley, Huddersfield and today – so flat that the crowd become apprehensive and a bit bored to be honest with you because they’re not getting dished up any quality or drive.

‘Then they do it in the second half. But why? Why not do it from the first whistle?

There can be no doubt in Clark’s mind that the ever decreasing crowd at St Andrews are becoming tired of their home performances by the jeers that rang around his ears both at half time and the full time whistle.

Blues now sit in 18th place in the Championship table.