[BFC SITE] Birmingham City Preview | Marc Roberts

Fixtures

• Birmingham City Vs. Barnsley - Sat, Apr 05 2025, 15:00

On Returning to St Andrew’s


It’ll be nice to go back and see some familiar faces who are still there. But for us, it’s just another game. Someone else asked me if I was excited, and I said, "Yeah, kind of." But it’s just one of those where, during the season, you roll into games, and for me, it’s no bigger than any other. They’re obviously top of the league and doing really well. The club’s in a great position, and I’m glad because the fans deserve it. But for us, game day will be no different.

On Memories of Playing for Birmingham


It was a turbulent time. But we had some good spells. The club is massive, and like I just said, they deserve better than what we ever gave them. It was difficult while I was there - there was a lot going on every season. It felt like multiple seasons in one, with constant changes. But, as I said, the club is class, and the fans are brilliant. They deserve a bit of success and to get somewhere decent.

Hopefully - taking me and this club out of it - I hope they do really well, get promoted, and kick on from there. But come Saturday, we’ll obviously be trying to put at least a tiny dent in their progress.

On Remaining Friendships at Birmingham


Yeah, Jutkiewicz is still there. To be honest, there aren’t that many left. (Ethan) Laird and Keshi (Anderson) are still around. Jonathan Grounds is there as a coach—I know him. The backroom staff is mostly the same, so it’ll be nice to see them. But we’ll leave that until after the game. We’ll be focused on trying to get something out of it.

On the Challenge of Facing Birmingham


Yeah, it’s the same messages as we’ve had all season. I don’t think anything will change. I know Conor believes in what he’s doing and in the squad, and I don’t think he’s big on changing much for other teams. He wants us to focus on what we do - being relentless and pressing.

A lot of teams might sit back and try to consolidate, but I don’t think you’ll see that from us - hopefully, anyway. Of course, the game itself dictates things sometimes, but I’m pretty sure he’ll set us up to be aggressive, play with high energy, and try to cause an upset.

On Reflecting on Recent Mistakes


It’s difficult because that’s been the story of our season, really. Every time it feels like we’re getting somewhere, it just comes back to bite us - individual errors, silly mistakes, poor decision-making - it all puts us on the back foot.

It’s frustrating because there’s always a spell where you think, “Yeah, go on, we’re getting somewhere,” and then it’s, “Oh, not again.” That’s what’s really held us back this season. But that’s where we are, and that’s what we’ve done. You can’t dwell on it too much - you’ve got another game coming up, and only a few left this season.

I know Conor will keep pushing us to stick with what we’re doing, keep delivering the same messages, and at least try to finish the season strongly. Hopefully, we can give the fans a couple of results, because that’s what’s missing.

On Providing a Spark


Yeah, it’s difficult, you know. You’ve got to take risks, and I think that’s what fans want to see. Conor wants us to be a relentless, high-intensity team that presses hard and forces teams into mistakes. Then, in the final third, our attacking players have a bit of freedom to make things happen.

That’s what excites fans. And aside from that, it’s about working hard. Fans want to see you putting in the effort - not getting outrun, outworked, or beaten in duels. They want to see passion. As long as you’re showing that, they don’t ask for much more.

Like I said, we’ve got a good team. If you’re putting in the hard work, individual quality will come through. But you’ve got to do the hard work first.

On Standards Within the Club


100%. If you don’t understand that what you do day-to-day spills onto the pitch, then you probably need to rethink a few things. How you act around the place, your discipline - it all matters.

As a team, we’re carrying out roles and responsibilities that have been put in place through a hell of a lot of hard work from the coaching staff. That requires discipline. If you can’t stick to simple disciplined tasks day-to-day - like turning up on time - how do you expect to maintain discipline on matchday?

That’s what gives you a platform to perform - a structure that allows individual players to go and produce moments of magic. But that foundation has to be there first.

Continue reading...