[monks data]

Attendance: 4,948

Championship

Aug 18, 2017 at 7.45pm UK

Burton Albion
2-1
Birmingham Birmingham City

Sordell (50'), Dyer (66')

FT(HT: 0-1)

Maghoma (29')

Harry Redknapp accuses players of 'disappearing' in Burton Albion defeat

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 19 August 2017

Birmingham City boss Harry Redknapp launches a scathing attack on his players, accusing some of them of 'ruining' former manager Gianfranco Zola.

Harry Redknapp has slammed his Birmingham City players for throwing away three points in Friday night's Championship clash with Burton Albion.

The Blues earned a first-half lead at the Pirelli Stadium through a simple Jacques Maghoma finish, before conceding twice in the second half to fall to a 2-1 loss.

After seeing his side make an inconsistent start to the campaign, with four points collected from a possible 12 on offer, a furious Redknapp vowed to make mass changes in the coming days to reignite a push for the top six.

"We're in a great position to win the game, no problems, we're in control - they come out second half, change the system, they go 4-4-2 and we lost it," he told reporters. "Suddenly four or five of them disappeared and I didn't see them second half. We didn't win any battles and it's not good enough.

"I have to keep coming on and saying nice things. People say:'Don't say anything bad'. Listen, what am I supposed to say? People are not stupid. People see the second half, it's not good enough. You don't go 25 games and win two of the 25 with virtually the same team. Nobody can say: 'OK lads, I'll sprinkle stardust on you, you're a new lot of boys this year, forget that you ruined [Gianfranco] Zola last year, this year we're going to be different'.

"What I need is to change a lot of them because that's not good enough. I'm not standing here trying to win points with the Birmingham fans, this is a fantastic football club with unbelievable support. They came here and sung their heads off and they deserve to have a good team.

"I will give them a good team and I still say, by the end of the window I'll have a group of players that I'll work with and we'll still be pushing to be up there in that top six next year."

Birmingham, who sit 13th in the table prior to Saturday's fixtures, are back in action on Tuesday night with a home EFL Cup tie against Bournemouth.