The countdown to Derby Day is officially on! In a special crossover episode, Colin Tattum is joined by former Birmingham Mail colleague and renowned local media figure Steve Tudgay from the Full Throstle podcast to preview Birmingham City’s highly anticipated trip to the Hawthorns.
Steve gives the inside track on West Bromwich Albion, explaining why James Morrison's side have a major point to prove after freezing on the big stage against Wolves. The guys discuss the Baggies' selection headaches, the worrying form of frontman Aune Heggebo, and Albion's shift toward younger player profiles.
For Blues, Tatts highlights the formidable centre-half pairing of Christoph Klarer and Phil Neumann, the air miles racked up by Jhon Solis and Paik Seung-ho on international duty, and why Chris Davies' front-foot hybrid style will make this a back-and-forth classic. Both hosts also pick the one opposition player they’d steal for their own squad, heaping praise on Solis and Jimmy-Jay Morgan.
The episode wraps with a brilliant trip down memory lane, covering the miserable 1984/85 double-relegation season, Peter Ndlovu and Dele Adebola causing havoc, and the infamous Paul Robinson and Damien Johnson red card drama.
A massive thank you to our Principal Partner: Davisons Law
And our Junior Partner: The Big Bulls Head in Digbeth (Pop down to watch the game on the big screens if you aren't travelling to the Hawthorns!)
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Check out our website for news, features, and analysis: https://foreverblues.counterpress.media/
0:00 - Introduction and Steve Tudgay welcome
1:37 - Hair shortage and background at the Birmingham Mail and Sports Argus
2:30 - Covering Wolverhampton Wanderers and Steve Bull's elbow
4:30 - Tell Tale Tudge - famous non-league gossip column
6:30 - West Bromwich Albion have a point to prove - they froze at Wolves
7:30 - Blues getting after Wolves by comparison
8:30 - Passive Albion are going to get on the front foot
9:30 - Blues went into the break on a downer, to a degree, but both teams starting afresh
10:25 - James Morrison's selection posers
12:24 - A problem with Aune Heggebo for the Baggies and the right-back situation
14:38 - No great surprises for Blues line-up and altering the style and physicality
16:40 - Paik Seung-ho fitness concern for Blues and Jhon Solis' air miles
18:35 - Albion with the upper hand in recent Hawthorns encounters
22:35 - Blues back four - you don't want to bump into Klarer and Neumann on a dark night
23:40 - Tatts picks his Albion player to go into the Blues squad; Jimmy-Jay Morgan's impact
27:13 - Steve selects the Blues player he would have in the Albion team, plus Ousmane Diakité's rise
30:15 - Albion's shift to younger player profiles, Heggebo again and August Priske
35:20 - Previous Hawthorns derbies - the Adebola and Ndlovu impact; Blues glowing spell
36:30 - The 93/94 relegation shoot-out, Albion stay up at Blues' expense
39:35 - The miserable 84/85 campaign
41:00 - Damien Johnson's revenge and Paul Robinson
45:13 - Albion predicted finish
46:30 - Where Blues should finish, January plans and expectations
50:35 - Albion doing a Hull City?
52:02 - Steve and Tatts' derby predictions
54:01 - Outro and thank you
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