Winning ugly is no problem for Woodgate
Caretaker just glad to stop rot
IT WAS far from convincing but Jonathan Woodgate succeeded in stopping the rot for Bournemouth.
After four consecutive league defeats jeopardised the Cherries’ top-six chances and led to Jason Tindall’s sacking, their caretaker boss achieved the three points they desperately needed.
What a bizarre week it must have been for former England defender Woodgate. Appointed to Tindall’s coaching staff on Monday to replace the Newcastle-bound Graeme Jones, he found himself running the show by Wednesday and picked up his first three points on Saturday. Craig David could write a song about it.
This wino vera stubborn Birmingham side will have been satisfying but Bournemouth’s performance was that of a side who need work if they are to make an immediate Premier League return.
Whether that falls to Woodgate or a permanent manager remains to be seen. But with his former club Middlesbrough beaten 4-1 at home by Brentford, sixth-placed Bournemouth have a handy fivepoint cushion to the chasing pack.
Play-offs should be the minimum expectation for such a talented squad, however, and Woodgate is not one to get ahead of himself.
‘My remit is to manage against Birmingham today and that’s as far as it goes. I’d been here 48 hours when I got the job,’ he said.
‘ We needed the win after four losses. You can talk about philosophies but if you can’t get results, you’re not in the job. You’ve just got to find a way to win.’
Birmingham cannot catch a break. They dropped into the bottom three following this defeat and their manager, Aitor Karanka, sounded like a broken record.
‘It is the same frustration I am feeling every week, every game,’ said Karanka. ‘Being better than the opponent and then making mistakes. For three or four months, every game has been the same.
‘We control the games, we play good football, we create chances. I trust in what I am doing.’
Birmingham certainly controlled the first half and took a deserved lead when Gary Gardner delivered from the right and Asmir Begovic somehow fumbled and pushed the ball backwards over his body for Scott Hogan to tap in from two yards out.
But Birmingham’s defensive fr agility was exposed when Bournemouth levelled with their first attempt on target. Jack Wilshere slipped a through pass into Arnaut Danjuma, who stepped onto his right foot and curled the ball home.
Bournemouth improved after the break and Adam Smith lofted in a cross which the unmarked Wilshere met with a looping header that dropped in, almost in slow motion.
But back came the visitors, with Hogan managing to keep himself onside as the Cherries defence stepped up. Hogan met Ivan Sanchez’s ball and headed past Begovic.
The game was delicately balanced but Bournemouth found an extra gear. Danjuma whipped in a free- kick that substitute Philip Billing put in off the back of his leg to win it. Nobody in red and black cared how the goal went in.