Lee Bowyer issues damning Birmingham City verdict after Millwall defeat | OneFootball

Birmingham City were beaten 3-1 away at Millwall on Saturday leaving boss Lee Bowyer ‘angered’.

Bowyer has criticised his players and labelled them as ‘soft’ after they were well beaten by Millwall at The Den.

Millwall took the lead in the 10th minute from a Scott Malone corner as the ball wasn’t cleared which then fell to Murray Wallace to tap home.

It got worse for the Blues as Tom Bradshaw made it 2-0 shortly before half-time. Troy Deeney pulled a goal back for Bowyer’s side before George Evans slotted in from Danny McNamara’s cut back.

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The goals conceded by Birmingham City left manager Bowyer fuming as well as the manner of performance as he told the Birmingham Mail: “If you don’t stick together as a group, you will lose the game and we were too soft in the first half.

“We allowed them to win every second ball, the basics of the game, set-pieces, not good enough marking.

“That’s Millwall’s strength, they are a big side and you have to compete but like I said first 45 minutes we were soft, very soft.”

Bowyer was at least happy with Troy Deeney’s performance as he grabbed his third of the season: “A great goal from Troy.

“I think that is the best he has played since he has been at the club. He caused them problems all day. He just kept dropping into those little pockets in the first half and linking things.”

The defeat leaves Birmingham City in 16th in the Championship table on 26 points, ahead of their clash with Cardiff City at St Andrew’s on Saturday afternoon.

This was a lacklustre performance from Birmingham City and one you wouldn’t have associated with them under Lee Bowyer.

They are struggling with player availability but that doesn’t excuse the fact that the players as Bowyer put it, ‘didn’t do the basics’.

Birmingham City have come a long way under Bowyer but performances like this leave a lot to be desired and they are just five points head of Cardiff in 21st highlighting that there’s still a long way to go for this side.