Birmingham v MK Dons Preview

Posted Tuesday, September 21, 2010 by sportinglife.aol.co.uk

Birmingham v MK Dons Preview CARLING CUP: ST ANDREW'S, TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2010: 1945 BST

Reacting positively to defeats has been one of the hallmarks of Alex McLeish's reign at Birmingham - and that probably spells bad news for League One opponents MK Dons.

McLeish and his players experienced their first reverse of the season in the West Midlands derby at West Brom on Saturday, following an uncharacteristic second half collapse that allowed Albion to claim bragging rights with some room to spare. This third round tie against the Dons represents an ideal opportunity for Birmingham to ease back into winning ways, ahead of their Premier League clash with Wigan this weekend.

The warning signs are there for Birmingham, however. They were outplayed for large portions of the game in the previous round against Rochdale, who are in the same division as their opponents here.

Birmingham sneaked a slightly fortuitous 3-2 victory that night and McLeish can ill afford to have any complacency from what is expected to be a drastically changed line-up.

Key Match-Up: Scott Dann v Sam Baldock: Birmingham defender Dann has made such impressive strides since his switch across the Midlands from Coventry that the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool have been linked with him. It means that Baldock, recently voted as the best young player in the Football League, will have his work cut out trying to enhance his own burgeoning reputation.

Form Guide: Birmingham slipped to their first defeat of the season at West Brom but have again been impressive at home this season, carrying on from the last campaign. MK Dons have secured one away win from three games so far this season.

Odds: Birmingham 2/5, MK Dons 7/1, Draw 10/3

BIRMINGHAM CITY:

Cameron Jerome has seen many ups and downs at St. Andrew's since his arrival from Cardiff City, but there is one thing in particular concerning him at the moment. It is Birmingham's ability to kill off teams, after their alarming surrender of three points at the Hawthorns.

Jerome put Birmingham deservedly ahead but was shocked to see Albion roar back with three goals to turn the game on its head. The game against MK Dons surely represents an opportunity for Blues to sharpen their predatory instincts.

He said: "I think we do get complacent when we go ahead. We do sit back and invite pressure on ourselves. The second goal, in a game like that [against West Brom], is vital. Had we got it, we probably would have won.

"We don't really have that killer instinct to kill teams off. We seem to sit off the game a bit and try and rest on our lead. Whether that stems from the players or something else, whether it's something we just do subconsciously, I don't know.

"It was frustrating to lose the way we did. It's something we have to look at."

Strategy:
McLeish is expected to make wholesale changes, with exciting youngster Nathan Redmond expected to play some part. Kevin Phillips, who just missed out against his former club on West Brom on Saturday, could also feature while Nikola Zigic and Alexander Hleb should play.

But McLeish will have to warn his players against the dangers of taking MK Dons for granted. They fell behind to Rochdale in the previous round and endured a number of nervy moments before finally putting the game to bed.

Their home record remains imperious, however. It is now more than 12 months since they last slipped to defeat on their own turf and it's a record they're anxious to protect.

Injury Update:
James McFadden is expected to miss the rest of the season with a cruciate ligament injury.

MK DONS
Under the guidance of their 30-year-old manager Karl Robinson , Dons have made a solid start to the campaign, currently occupying a play-off spot after four wins from seven games. They stunned Premier League outfit Blackpool in the last round and should not be underestimated.