It's not just half way but, as was the case last season, we will also have played every team in the division. It's a season that, so far, is very different than was the case in 2011/12. Then we were winning a lot of away games but struggling a home, so much so that a year ago we were fifth in the league based on away results but down in 20th based on home results.
Things have changed a year on. Now our home form sees us ninth in the table but the away form is such that we would currently be in the bottom three. Only Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley have less points than us on the road and only Ipswich have conceded more away goals than we have.
We've won just three times, at Derby, Bristol City and Hull but it could and should have been better. In the other eight games away from Turf Moor, from which we have picked up just the one point at Barnsley, we've actually led in four of them. We were 1-0 up at Middlesbrough, Leicester and Barnsley and held a 2-0 lead at Crystal Palace.
 |
| Martin Paterson believes we are close to a good run |
Simply, our away record should be better than it is and had we held on to the leads in two of those defeats we'd be in a position where only four teams would have more points than us on the road.
Having won at Hull, we've drawn at Barnsley and lost at Nottingham Forest so tomorrow's game is an important one as we hope to start improving our away record as we go into the second half of the season.
Our recent record, home and away, is one for both the glass half full and empty fans. If you are half full then you'll surely point to the fact that we've lost just once in the last five games, half empty and I'm sure you'll have noted that Hull are the only team we've beaten in the last seven.
Similarly, the half fullers will revel in the lack of goals we've conceded and the half emptiers will get the same from our disappointing goal return.
That return is something Martin Paterson wants to improve. He thinks a good run is on the horizon. "We are not far away from a run," he said. "I think we are yet to take off with our best form.
"The period coming up is important with the amount of games coming in a short space of time. We could really propel ourselves into a fantastic position. If you do go on a three or four game run you could end up anywhere, including the play offs, where we are quietly confident that if we piece everything together we will have half a chance of."
Paterson knows it will need more goals and added: "Charlie has scored a good amount of our goals and it's time for other people to chip in and help him, myself included. I should be chipping in with more.
"I don't like to use it as an excuse, playing out wide. You can still score goals no matter where you play. It's slightly harder because you have to do the defensive side of things but I wouldn't like to hide behind that.
"I've had a couple of half chances which I think I should have converted and if selected for the next couple of games I will be trying even more so to get on the score sheet. I think once I get a couple under my belt I'll be alright."
Paterson has been an ever present for Dyche. He missed three games earlier in the season with a hamstring injury but the home win against Blackpool, when he came on as a substitute, is the only league game he hasn't started since.
Playing on the left for Dyche, he'll be coming under pressure from both Junior Stanislas and the rejuvenated Keith Treacy, but I would think he's likely to start again tomorrow.
It's difficult to determine what the team will be. Dyche has, when given the chance, played the same eleven players. Only injuries and suspensions have forced changes.
Last week two more suspensions saw Kevin Long and Danny Ings come in for Michael Duff and Chris McCann, but he made another change with David Edgar preferred in midfield to Brian Stock.
With Duff and McCann available again tomorrow he could well bring them both back in and could revert to what had been his favoured starting line up.
What is certain is that the two returning players will be added to the squad which featured against Watford. That team was: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, Kevin Long, Jason Shackell, Danny Lafferty, David Edgar, Ross Wallace, Dean Marney, Danny Ings, Martin Paterson, Charlie Austin. Subs: Brian Jensen, Joseph Mills, Brian Stock, Marvin Bartley, Junior Stanislas, Keith Treacy, Sam Vokes.
Birmingham, like us, have won just once in their last seven games and that came in a televised game against Middlesbrough three weeks ago when former Claret Wade Elliott was one of the goalscorers.
They are a club who have gone through a lot of change in the last couple of years. Having been promoted with us in 2009 they came down again after two years. That was under the management of Alex McLeish but he was poached by Aston Villa and his replacement, Chris Hughton, was similarly grabbed by Norwich last summer when Villa took Paul Lambert.
So their last two managerial changes have come about because of managers leaving their closest rivals across the city at Villa Park.
Birmingham are also a club with off field problems. They are owned by Carson Yeung who is currently facing money laundering charges in Hong Kong. Trading in Birmingham International Holdings, the company which owns Birmingham City Football Club, have since been suspended although the company has said it is in advanced talks over the sale of the club.
It's left them in a difficult position although last season, their first back in the Championship, they finished in fourth place before losing to Blackpool in the semi-finals of the play offs.
Hughton had done a good job but the lure of the Premier League took him to Carrow Road and Lee Clark, sacked during last season at Huddersfield, took over.
They are currently in 19th place in the table with 25 points, that's four points less than we have. At home, they've won four and lost four. They've beaten Peterborough, Bolton, Bristol City and Middlesbrough but all of Barnsley, Huddersfield, Ipswich and Hull have left with all three points.
The defeat that most will recall is the first of them against Barnsley when Craig Davies netted four times in a 5-0 win for the Tykes in front of the Sky cameras.
But Birmingham certainly have some players to keep an eye on. They include Jack Butland, the highly rated goalkeeper, and Marlon King, who has scored 12 of their league goals this season. No other player has scored more than three times.
There could also be two very familiar faces. At the back is Steven Caldwell, our promotion winning captain, and alongside him the Wembley goalscoring hero Wade Elliott. Both received warm receptions from the Burnley fans at both games last season although Wade was an unused sub in the St. Andrew's clash.
Both of the former Clarets are expected to play against us but Birmingham have received a blow with the news that Paul Caddis, who limped off in their 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace last week, is ruled out. He sustained a hamstring injury which is not as bad as initially thought but will probably keep him sidelined for about three weeks.
Stephen Carr and David Murphy, with knee injuries, and Keith Fahey, who is on compassionate leave, are long term absences and to add o that both Darren Ambrose and Jonathan Spector also remain out of the picture although Spector could be back over the Christmas period.
They do have some good news. Morgaro Gomis could return after being out for six weeks with a dead leg. He was close to making the squad last week and should feature tomorrow. And Hayden Mullens is back after serving a suspension.
Manager Lee Clark is looking to some of his younger players and has confirmed that 18-year-old Emmitt Delfouneso, the younger brother of Nathan who is currently on loan at Blackpool from Aston Villa.
Clark said of him: "Emmitt is a young centre back who we've got high hopes for, but we don't know yet whether he comes in to the framer in terms of the 18.
Birmingham are expected to select from: 1. Jack Butland, 27. Mitch Hancox, 4. Steven Caldwell, 6. Curtis Davies, 30. Paul Robinson, 7. Chris Burke, 32. Papa Bouba Diop, 33. Callum Reilly, 15. Wade Elliott, 11. Peter Lovendkrands, 9. Marlon King, 13. Colin Doyle, 5. Pablo Ibáñez, 12. Ravel Morrison, 22. Nathan Redmond, 29. Rob Hall, 19. Nikola Zigic, 14. Morgaro Gomis, 8. Hayden Mullins, 24. Will Packwood, 31. Emmitt Delfouneso.
Last Time We Were There
Last season's game at St. Andrew's came on a Tuesday night in November. Birmingham were in mid-table but with three games in hand on most clubs because of their involvement in the Europa League.
We'd dropped to 21st in the table and arrived having lost each of our last three games. Charlie Austin had suffered his shoulder injury on the previous Saturday and his place was taken by Sam Vokes who was getting his first start in Burnley colours. In the only other change, manager Eddie Howe dropped Junior Stanislas and brought in fit again Ross Wallace.
Any hopes of a bright start were gone within the first two minutes as Birmingham took the lead. Chris Burke picked up the ball around 35-yards from our goal but the resistance was minimal as he made his way into the box.
 |
| First Burnley goal for Marvin Bartley |
He should have scored then with ease but gave Lee Grant a chance to save. Grant took the chance and made a good save, getting the ball onto the bar. But, unfortunately, Jean Beausejour was the only player to react and he smashed it into the roof of the net.
So, 1-0 after two minutes and it was the same score as the teams went in at half time. Quite how remains a mystery as Birmingham dominated with Burnley turning in their worst 45 minutes of football to date in the season. We offered nothing but Birmingham weren't good enough to take advantage and so as we came out for the second half we were still in the game.
Four minutes into the second half we won a corner. Wallace took it short to Keith Treacy who crossed. We got away with a clear foul from Sam Vokes and as the ball dropped for Marvin Bartley just outside the box he hit a shot that took a deflection and flew into the roof of the net.
We were never in the same sort of trouble in the second half as we were in the first and Treacy was effectively taking danger man Burke out of the game with a sound defensive display in front of Brian Easton.
With two minutes of normal time remaining we surprisingly pulled Treacy off and replaced him with Andre Amougou. Into the first minute of stoppage time and David Murphy got down our right, beat Kieran Trippier and Amougou before crossing for the now unmarked Burke who hit home the winner.
We were still 21st but now only two points away from the relegation positions. The next game was at Hull when we recovered brilliantly as a bottom three place stared us in the face. This had been a performance to forget.
The teams were;
Birmingham: Boaz Myhill, Stephen Carr, Curtis Davis, Steven Caldwell, David Murphy, Chris Burke, Keith Fahey, Jonathan Spector, Jean Beausejour (Nathan Redmond 69), Nikola Zigic, Marlon King (Chris Wood 88). Subs not used: Colin Doyle, Pablo Ibáñez, Wade Elliott.
Burnley: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, David Edgar, Brian Easton, Ross Wallace, Marvin Bartley, Chris McCann (Dean Marney 59), Keith Treacy (Andre Amougou 88), Sam Vokes, Jay Rodriguez. Subs not used: Jon Stewart, Zavon Hines, Junior Stanislas.
Previous Games against Birmingham
| Last 20 Years | |||||
| Season | Comp | Ven | Res | Att | Scorers |
| 2000/01 | Division 1 | a | 2-3 | 19,641 | Cox, Weller |
| h | 0-0 | 17,057 | |||
| 2001/02 | Division 1 | a | 3-2 | 18,426 | Little (2), I Moore |
| h | 0-1 | 13,504 | |||
| 2006/07 | Championship | h | 1-2 | 12,889 | McCann |
| a | 1-0 | 28,777 | Spicer | ||
| 2008/09 | Championship | h | 1-1 | 13,809 | McCann |
| a | 1-1 | 16,763 | Paterson | ||
| 2009/10 | Premier League | h | 2-1 | 20,102 | Fletcher, Bikey |
| a | 1-2 | 24,578 | Thompson | ||
| 2011/12 | Championship | a | 1-2 | 16,253 | Bartley |
| h | 1-3 | 13,221 | Ings | ||
Click HERE to see all previous results against Birmingham