Colin Tattum picks his Birmingham City team of the decade
Chief sports writer Colin Tattum has followed the trials and tribulations of Birmingham City for more than 20 years now. As 2009 comes to a close, he reveals his best Blues team from the Noughties.
The decade will be remembered as a significant period in Birmingham City history. It was when they rejoined the party.
The 1980s were grim, desolate times. In the mid-1990s, the club perked up.
In 2001 Blues reached a major domestic final for the first time in 38 years. A little further down the line and it was back into the top flight, a Premier League debut.
As the decade draws to a close, a new owner in Carson Yeung is here to lead Blues ahead into the future.
So quite a time, the Noughties, all told for Blues.
But what of the players who represented them? Who stood out, who stank the place out?
Tasked with picking a best XI of the decade, it seemed straightforward at first. But it wasn’t.
I’ve seen genius (Christophe Dugarry), jokers (Ferdinand Coly), those who came somewhere inbetween and Robbie Savage.
Blues' first game in 2000 was against Steve Bruce’s Huddersfield Town, when Bryan Hughes ushered the new decade in with the first goal – after just 12 seconds.
That year Blues lost in the play-off semi-finals, as they did so in 2001, following-up the unlucky Worthington Cup final defeat by Liverpool (Stephane Henchoz foul on Andrew Johnson, anyone?).
But only two players from those early days of the decade make my starting side.
Unsurprisingly, the main body of the team is made up of stalwarts of Blues' initial Premier League campaigns, between 2002-06. Many of them also provided sterling service in the Championship during the interim periods.
So let’s start at the beginning or, rather, at the back.
Ian Bennett’s best work for Blues was in the 1990s. Nico Vaesen was a play-off hero of 2002 in the penalty shoot-out against Norwich City. Joe Hart’s time is to come, possibly at Blues.
Goalkeeper, it has to be Maik Taylor. Signed on loan from Fulham, the move was made permanent and the Northern Ireland international’s outstanding performances in 2003-04 made him arguably the Premier League’s best in the position. Taylor also deserved more credit than he got for last season’s consistency, when he often kept Blues in games that were in the balance by making a superb save.
As for the back four, the Kenny Cunningham-Matthew Upson partnership, when both were fresh and fit, takes some beating.
