birminghammail--2020-02-22--'He's wrong' - Lee Johnson responds to West Brom boss Slaven Bilic after Romaine Sawyers red card

Lee Johnson has agreed to disagree with Slaven Bilic after West Brom midfielder Romaine Sawyers saw red in Albion ’ s win over Bristol City on Saturday .
Baggies boss Bilic insisted that Sawyers , who clashed with former Walsall teammate Jamie Paterson in the second half at Ashton Gate , was unfortunate to be sent off .
Replays showed the midfielder put his hand around the throat of Paterson , and after consulting his assistant , referee Darren England fetched for his cards .
Bilic , unhappy that Johnson and his bench had influenced the officials ’ thinking , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different outcome .
If you want to follow all things Albion via social media then this is the place to find out how .
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Make sure you keep yourself updated with our social media accounts ... Twitter : All the latest news as it happens For all your latest WBA news , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ click here You can follow our reporter Joseph Chapman on Twitter , and his email address is Joseph.Chapman @ reachplc.com “ Well , he ’ s wrong , it ’ s as simple as that , ” Johnson said .
“ They ’ re the rules of the game .
Actually , the fourth official didn ’ t see it .
I ’ m only looking to protect the player .
I ’ ve seen a hand around his throat , I don ’ t like it .
“ I think I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the fourth official ‘ deal with his hand around his throat ’ - and unbelievably he didn ’ t see anything .
“ It was the assistant down the line who made the decision and spoke to the referee .
“ You can ’ t put your hands around someone ’ s throat .
You ’ d be within your rights to defend yourself .
I thought Pato did well not to hit him , to be honest .
“ It was a foul , there are a lot of fouls .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ good player .
I ’ ve got no problem , I ’ ve got beat in a football match and he ’ s had one of his best players sent off , but for me I always shake hands with the opposition .
That ’ s who I am .
It didn ’ t have any influence on the game.
” That all said , Johnson didn ’ t have any complaints about the final outcome .
The 3-0 score-line reflected a match in which Albion assumed control , and converted the opportunities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work too hard for those chances , with their hosts acting particularly welcoming and laying on free hits .
“ My complaints are against my own side , ” Johnson added .
“ There were too many errors .
They worked hard , I think we lack against the top teams the physicality in the individual duels .
“ That ’ s something West Brom , with their budget and parachute payments and Premier League spine , have .
We were alright for the first 15 minutes , they ’ d have felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we had a spell where there must ’ ve been about 15 individual errors on the spin , which led to extended pressure from West Brom .
“ The first goal is an error , the second is two individual errors and the third is a howler .
“ There are key moments where I thought we could ’ ve got back in it .
Nahki ’ s chance wasn ’ t a bad one , in the middle of the goal .
The sending off at 2-0 , is a double whammy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve conceded the third moments after .
”

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Lee Johnson has agreed to disagree with Slaven Bilic after West Brom midfielder Romaine Sawyers saw red in Albion’s win over Bristol City on Saturday.
Baggies boss Bilic insisted that Sawyers, who clashed with former Walsall teammate Jamie Paterson in the second half at Ashton Gate, was unfortunate to be sent off.
Replays showed the midfielder put his hand around the throat of Paterson, and after consulting his assistant, referee Darren England fetched for his cards.
Bilic, unhappy that Johnson and his bench had influenced the officials’ thinking, claimed that there should have been a different outcome.
Johnson, though, offered a different view.
“Well, he’s wrong, it’s as simple as that,” Johnson said. “They’re the rules of the game. Actually, the fourth official didn’t see it. I’m only looking to protect the player. I’ve seen a hand around his throat, I don’t like it.
“I think I’m well within my rights to say to the fourth official ‘deal with his hand around his throat’ - and unbelievably he didn’t see anything.
“It was the assistant down the line who made the decision and spoke to the referee.
“You can’t put your hands around someone’s throat. You’d be within your rights to defend yourself. I thought Pato did well not to hit him, to be honest.
“It was a foul, there are a lot of fouls. It’s silly from a very good player. I’ve got no problem, I’ve got beat in a football match and he’s had one of his best players sent off, but for me I always shake hands with the opposition. That’s who I am. It didn’t have any influence on the game.”
That all said, Johnson didn’t have any complaints about the final outcome.
The 3-0 score-line reflected a match in which Albion assumed control, and converted the opportunities. They didn’t have to work too hard for those chances, with their hosts acting particularly welcoming and laying on free hits.
“My complaints are against my own side,” Johnson added. “There were too many errors. They worked hard, I think we lack against the top teams the physicality in the individual duels.
“That’s something West Brom, with their budget and parachute payments and Premier League spine, have. We were alright for the first 15 minutes, they’d have felt our quality at times.
"Then we had a spell where there must’ve been about 15 individual errors on the spin, which led to extended pressure from West Brom.
“The first goal is an error, the second is two individual errors and the third is a howler.
“There are key moments where I thought we could’ve got back in it. Nahki’s chance wasn’t a bad one, in the middle of the goal. The sending off at 2-0, is a double whammy because the crowd are lifted but then we’ve conceded the third moments after.”


birminghammail--2020-02-22--Man murdered at 'cannabis farm raid' is international kickboxing star

An international kick- boxing star was one of two men killed during violence outside a suspected Black Country cannabis factory .
And leading figures – including professional boxing champions – have paid moving tributes to teenager Khuzaimah “ Zaimy ” Douglas .
The 19-year-old , from Moseley , Birmingham , and Waseem Ramzan , 36 , were fatally wounded in the horrific Thursday morning violence in Pensnett Road , Brierley Hill .
Mr Douglas , who fought out of Tyseley ’ s USKA fight factory , was pronounced dead at the scene .
Mr Ramzan , who lived in Pensnett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reports claimed both were caught up in a brawl after raiders attempted to enter a suspected cannabis factory .
Last night a moving tribute was posted to Mr Douglas on USKA ’ s facebook site .
His contests are prominently featured on YouTube .
The post reads : “ Yesterday we received the unthinkable news that we had lost one of our members , our fighters , our friends and our family at the USKA gym .
“ Our beloved brother Khuzaimah Douglas passed away and we all feel absolutely devastated and heartbroken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a kind , considerate , extremely talented and humble young man who everyone had a connection with , an older brother to the USKA kids and a younger brother to all the seniors .
“ To see the effect that this has had on each and every member at the gym last night was truly heartbreaking .
“ I can only imagine what his family are going through right now having to process the situation and come to terms with their unimaginable loss .
“ Thank you for all the messages , texts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truly appreciated .
Please say a prayer for Khuzaimah and his family and keep him in your thoughts today.
” One club member posted : “ A father who devoted his life to leading the light for young people has lost his own young soul .
“ A man who led the light for young people like myself once upon a time has to face such tragedy .
Life doesn ’ t usually make much sense .
We all got to strive for better days .
“ It is just absurd to understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to comprehend this life taken so soon.
” Khuzaimah fought at the highest level .
He represented England , competed at the International Combat Organisation ’ s world championships in Scotland , the the WKO World Championships in Barnsley and travelled to Tuscany in 2017 for the unified world championships .
One former opponent said on social media : “ You were my opponent , my teammate and , most importantly , friend .
My thoughts go out to you , your family and your USKA family .
“ I will always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alerted to trouble in Pensnett Road by a 3.30am 999 call , say that the investigation is making good progress .
On Friday , Detective Chief Inspector Jim Munro , from West Midlands Police homicide unit , said : “ We ’ ve been working throughout the night to take witness statements and seize CCTV .
It ’ s helped us get a clearer understanding of what ’ s gone on .
“ We believe around seven men attacked an address in which cannabis was being cultivated and were confronted by people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re working to identify who was involved and we ’ re making good progress.
” He added : “ People may have witnessed the disorder , people or vehicles leaving the scene , or seen something suspicious .
“ We need them to get in touch as every piece of information , no matter how small , could be crucial .
“ I ’ d also like to hear from any motorists who were in the area at the time and have dash cam footage as they also may have recorded something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sally Bourner added : “ Our thoughts are with the families of two men who have tragically lost their lives .
We have specially trained family liaison officers working with them to offer support .
“ This is an awful incident and we recognise the wider impact it can have on our communities .
But what I would say is that we believe this address was deliberately targeted , it was not a random attack.
” Anyone with information is urged to ring 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 .
Callers won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and calls can not be traced .
Officers arrested a 19-year-old man on Thursday on suspicion of conspiracy to rob , and he has now been further arrested on suspicion of murder .

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An international kick- boxing star was one of two men killed during violence outside a suspected Black Country cannabis factory.
And leading figures – including professional boxing champions – have paid moving tributes to teenager Khuzaimah “Zaimy” Douglas.
The 19-year-old, from Moseley, Birmingham, and Waseem Ramzan, 36, were fatally wounded in the horrific Thursday morning violence in Pensnett Road, Brierley Hill.
Mr Douglas, who fought out of Tyseley’s USKA fight factory, was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr Ramzan, who lived in Pensnett Road, died later in hospital.
Reports claimed both were caught up in a brawl after raiders attempted to enter a suspected cannabis factory.
Last night a moving tribute was posted to Mr Douglas on USKA’s facebook site. His contests are prominently featured on YouTube.
The post reads: “Yesterday we received the unthinkable news that we had lost one of our members, our fighters, our friends and our family at the USKA gym.
“Our beloved brother Khuzaimah Douglas passed away and we all feel absolutely devastated and heartbroken following the news.
“Khuzaimah was a kind, considerate, extremely talented and humble young man who everyone had a connection with, an older brother to the USKA kids and a younger brother to all the seniors.
“To see the effect that this has had on each and every member at the gym last night was truly heartbreaking.
“I can only imagine what his family are going through right now having to process the situation and come to terms with their unimaginable loss.
“Thank you for all the messages, texts and calls of condolence, they are truly appreciated. Please say a prayer for Khuzaimah and his family and keep him in your thoughts today.”
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One club member posted: “A father who devoted his life to leading the light for young people has lost his own young soul.
“A man who led the light for young people like myself once upon a time has to face such tragedy. Life doesn’t usually make much sense. We all got to strive for better days.
“It is just absurd to understand how such inspirational father will have to attempt to comprehend this life taken so soon.”
Khuzaimah fought at the highest level. He represented England, competed at the International Combat Organisation’s world championships in Scotland, the the WKO World Championships in Barnsley and travelled to Tuscany in 2017 for the unified world championships.
One former opponent said on social media: “You were my opponent, my teammate and, most importantly, friend. My thoughts go out to you, your family and your USKA family.
“I will always remember the good times.”
Police, alerted to trouble in Pensnett Road by a 3.30am 999 call, say that the investigation is making good progress.
On Friday, Detective Chief Inspector Jim Munro, from West Midlands Police homicide unit, said: “We’ve been working throughout the night to take witness statements and seize CCTV. It’s helped us get a clearer understanding of what’s gone on.
“We believe around seven men attacked an address in which cannabis was being cultivated and were confronted by people who were inside the address.
“We’re working to identify who was involved and we’re making good progress.”
He added: “People may have witnessed the disorder, people or vehicles leaving the scene, or seen something suspicious.
“We need them to get in touch as every piece of information, no matter how small, could be crucial.
“I’d also like to hear from any motorists who were in the area at the time and have dash cam footage as they also may have recorded something important.”
Dudley Police Commander Chief Superintendent Sally Bourner added: “Our thoughts are with the families of two men who have tragically lost their lives. We have specially trained family liaison officers working with them to offer support.
“This is an awful incident and we recognise the wider impact it can have on our communities. But what I would say is that we believe this address was deliberately targeted, it was not a random attack.”
Anyone with information is urged to ring 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Callers won’t be asked for their names and calls cannot be traced.
Officers arrested a 19-year-old man on Thursday on suspicion of conspiracy to rob, and he has now been further arrested on suspicion of murder.


birminghammail--2020-02-22--Road test: Skoda Scala SE 1.5 TSI DSG

Road test: Skoda Scala SE 1.5 TSI DSG

The Skoda model range is expanding at a rapid rate these days - though interestingly there ’ s no Rapid model available in the UK any longer .
While the Scala isn ’ t a replacement as such , it kind of fills the gap left by a vehicle which is still available in some other markets .
Size-wise the Scala sits somewhere between the Fabia and Octavia models as a mid-sized family hatchback .
It ’ s a tidy looking vehicle that has a very distinctive front end featuring a sleek new Skoda grille and narrow LED headlights .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ out there but there ’ s nothing really wrong with that .
In terms of value for money the Scala is a decent proposition , offering Volkswagen Group quality at a great price .
The range starts at around £17,400 .
That will get you an entry-level S spec model powered by a three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine producing 95bhp .
The Scala also has a surprisingly roomy cabin and a very generously-sized boot ( 467 litres of space increasing to 1,410 litres with the rear seats folded ) - in keeping with that inimitable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A Scala benefit is that equipment levels are pretty generous throughout the range .
That eminently affordable S comes with a raft of features including alloys , air con , DAB radio and electric windows all round .
Step up to an SE and you also get cruise control , parking sensors , an enhanced sound system with eight speakers , a better touch screen , a chilled glove box , auto lights and wipers .
If you ’ re a fan of the Skoda on board umbrella ( a nice touch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SE .
Engine-wise there are three petrol options .
As well as a 95bhp variant there is also a 115bhp 1.0-litre unit .
If you prefer a more potent four-cylinder than there ’ s a 1.5-litre unit producing 150bhp .
Diesel might be diminishing but it ’ s still not quite a dirty word and there is a 1.5 litre 115hp diesel engine too .
To drive the Scala is thoroughly decent it has to be said and offers ride quality befitting a bigger car .
Have you tried the new groundbreaking CarCloud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forever , offering free reminders for tax , MOT and other car needs as well as a free valuation service .
It 's simple to use and there 's no charge - download here for iOS or here for Google Play .

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The Skoda model range is expanding at a rapid rate these days - though interestingly there’s no Rapid model available in the UK any longer.
While the Scala isn’t a replacement as such, it kind of fills the gap left by a vehicle which is still available in some other markets.
Size-wise the Scala sits somewhere between the Fabia and Octavia models as a mid-sized family hatchback.
It’s a tidy looking vehicle that has a very distinctive front end featuring a sleek new Skoda grille and narrow LED headlights.
Overall the styling is conventional rather than out there but there’s nothing really wrong with that.
In terms of value for money the Scala is a decent proposition, offering Volkswagen Group quality at a great price. The range starts at around £17,400.
That will get you an entry-level S spec model powered by a three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine producing 95bhp.
The Scala also has a surprisingly roomy cabin and a very generously-sized boot (467 litres of space increasing to 1,410 litres with the rear seats folded) - in keeping with that inimitable Skoda ability to create genuinely Tardis-like vehicles.
A Scala benefit is that equipment levels are pretty generous throughout the range.
That eminently affordable S comes with a raft of features including alloys, air con, DAB radio and electric windows all round.
Step up to an SE and you also get cruise control, parking sensors, an enhanced sound system with eight speakers, a better touch screen, a chilled glove box, auto lights and wipers.
If you’re a fan of the Skoda on board umbrella (a nice touch) you also get that with an SE.
The range-topping SE L features bigger wheels, full LED rear lights, privacy glass, keyless entry, sat nav , climate control and virtual cockpit dash display.
Engine-wise there are three petrol options. As well as a 95bhp variant there is also a 115bhp 1.0-litre unit.
If you prefer a more potent four-cylinder than there’s a 1.5-litre unit producing 150bhp.
Diesel might be diminishing but it’s still not quite a dirty word and there is a 1.5 litre 115hp diesel engine too.
To drive the Scala is thoroughly decent it has to be said and offers ride quality befitting a bigger car.
FAST FACTS
Skoda Scala SE 1.5 TSI DSG
Price: £22,220
Mechanical: 150ps, 1,498cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via seven-speed automatic gearbox
Max speed: 136mph
0-62mph: 8.2 seconds
Combined mpg: 56.5
Insurance group: 21
CO2 emissions: 115g/km
BiK rating: 27%
Warranty: 3yrs/60,000 miles
Have you tried the new groundbreaking CarCloud app? It's changing car ownership forever, offering free reminders for tax, MOT and other car needs as well as a free valuation service. It's simple to use and there's no charge - download here for iOS or here for Google Play.


birminghammail--2020-02-22--'Be a man' - Garry Monk lifts the lid on Pep Clotet handshake

Garry Monk has explained his pre-match handshake with Pep Clotet .
The Sheffield Wednesday manager and Birmingham City head coach appeared to embrace before today ’ s 3-3 draw at St Andrew ’ s .
That followed events at Hillsborough in November when Monk declined to accept his former assistant ’ s hand .
That – and Monk ’ s comments before and after that 1-1 draw - made the headlines , but Monk was keen to make sure that didn ’ t happen again .
“ Apparently I ’ m not a man if I don ’ t do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a man , ” the Owls boss said .
“ I didn ’ t want it to be a distraction and something as trivial as that to be made into a story or a head-line , which a lot of people want to do .
“ I just took care of that so I could concentrate on my team and concentrate on what they ’ ve got to do.
” After the game Monk and Clotet had a long conversation on the touchline which did not suggest a burying of hatchets .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a game he felt his side should have won .
“ It was disappointing in terms of the ending of the game , but in terms of the performance it was a lot more like ourselves , ” he said .
“ There was fight , passion , desire , the competing side of it , right up there with what we saw before the period we ’ ve been in .
“ We had to fight back from adversity , an own goal , and we came through all those things and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Our offensive play , we were dangerous in the first half but maybe gave the territory away a little bit , made it too enter for them to enter our box .
“ But in the second half we made a few changes and had control of the game then , and we had some big chances to finish the game off .
“ But in this league no team gives up and they took their opportunity right at the end of the game .
“ Very unlucky not to win that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have deserved it and I know it ’ s a win that everyone wants but overall the performance was much more like ourselves .
“ Hopefully we can build on this for the rest of the week and the rest of the season .
”

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Garry Monk has explained his pre-match handshake with Pep Clotet.
The Sheffield Wednesday manager and Birmingham City head coach appeared to embrace before today’s 3-3 draw at St Andrew’s.
That followed events at Hillsborough in November when Monk declined to accept his former assistant’s hand.
That – and Monk’s comments before and after that 1-1 draw - made the headlines, but Monk was keen to make sure that didn’t happen again.
“Apparently I’m not a man if I don’t do that so, I decided to be a man,” the Owls boss said.
“I didn’t want it to be a distraction and something as trivial as that to be made into a story or a head-line, which a lot of people want to do.
“I just took care of that so I could concentrate on my team and concentrate on what they’ve got to do.”
After the game Monk and Clotet had a long conversation on the touchline which did not suggest a burying of hatchets.
However, Monk was more keen to discuss a game he felt his side should have won.
“It was disappointing in terms of the ending of the game, but in terms of the performance it was a lot more like ourselves,” he said.
“There was fight, passion, desire, the competing side of it, right up there with what we saw before the period we’ve been in.
“We had to fight back from adversity, an own goal, and we came through all those things and showed the character to come back.
“Our offensive play, we were dangerous in the first half but maybe gave the territory away a little bit, made it too enter for them to enter our box.
“But in the second half we made a few changes and had control of the game then, and we had some big chances to finish the game off.
“But in this league no team gives up and they took their opportunity right at the end of the game.
“Very unlucky not to win that game. I think overall we would have deserved it and I know it’s a win that everyone wants but overall the performance was much more like ourselves.
“Hopefully we can build on this for the rest of the week and the rest of the season.”


birminghammail--2020-02-22--Southampton beat sorry Aston Villa - and fans are all saying the same thing

It was a game that many Aston Villa fans had earmarked as a good opportunity for a revival of fortune .
Vital points in the battle against relegation .
Alas , it was not meant to be .
Instead Villa huffed and puffed their way to defeat with manager Dean Smith slating his side 's lack of fight .
It was a similar story with the fans , who genuinely were , all saying more or less the same thing .
RelegationSZN : It ’ s the same week in week out we don ’ t want it and walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pathetic Gavsmash : We won promotion .
Put together a team that lacks any real quality despite the money spent .
Will lose the best player we ’ ve ever had because we failed to build a team around him to keep him .
Pathetic Jake ; Why didn ’ t we compete well enough and why didn ’ t we show desire ?
These players in playing on the biggest stage , the biggest and best league in the world Craig : How can the owners spend so much money and watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not do something about it ?
Jay T : all this team is good for is ruining your weekend every weekend .
another ruined weekend guaranteed next week too.. getting sick of this Lloydy : We haven ’ t competed all season hence the being where we are !
Savo 's Bandana : Lack of fight is worrying if we didnt have wembley next week .
It sounds like they were saving themselves for wembley and not risking injury .
Inexcusable but sadly we have little options available .
Can we recall scott @ @

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It was a game that many Aston Villa fans had earmarked as a good opportunity for a revival of fortune.
Vital points in the battle against relegation.
Alas, it was not meant to be.
Instead Villa huffed and puffed their way to defeat with manager Dean Smith slating his side's lack of fight.
It was a similar story with the fans, who genuinely were, all saying more or less the same thing.
RelegationSZN: It’s the same week in week out we don’t want it and walk around half arsed for the game. Pathetic
WillB: We had 3 shots....
Gavsmash: We won promotion. Put together a team that lacks any real quality despite the money spent. Will lose the best player we’ve ever had because we failed to build a team around him to keep him. Pathetic
Sam Crawford: We’re in a relegation scrap and we’re lacking fight
Jake; Why didn’t we compete well enough and why didn’t we show desire? These players in playing on the biggest stage, the biggest and best league in the world
Craig: How can the owners spend so much money and watch this crap week in week out and not do something about it ?
Jay T: all this team is good for is ruining your weekend every weekend. another ruined weekend guaranteed next week too.. getting sick of this
Lloydy: We haven’t competed all season hence the being where we are!
Savo's Bandana: Lack of fight is worrying if we didnt have wembley next week. It sounds like they were saving themselves for wembley and not risking injury. Inexcusable but sadly we have little options available. Can we recall scott hogan?


birminghammail--2020-02-22--'The thing that hurt the most' - Dean Smith doesn't hold back after defeat to Southampton

Raging Dean Smith has laid into his Aston Villa players - suggesting how some of played themselves out of next week 's Carabao Cup final .
The head coach was in a foul mood after Villa 's 2-0 defeat at St Mary 's , declaring : `` There 's too many training-ground players . ''
Shane Long and Stuart Armstrong put the nail in Villa 's coffin on the south-coast and , afterwards , Smith said : `` My feelings are one of embarrassment , I suppose .
The performance was dreadful highlighted in the first 20 minutes .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken heart from the performance against Spurs .
We got probably the opposite .
`` They smash a ball in our box we do n't win the first header , do n't win the second header , give away a corner .
Then we had our backs to the wall for 20 minutes .
We never competed or showed enough desire to get on the ball .
`` Players who last week you 'd said put in good performances were poor today .
`` There 's too many training ground players .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` If you want to be a Pl player , you have to perform week in , week out , too many of ours did n't today . ''
He added : `` It was a massive surprise .
The thing that hurt me the most was a that lack of fight , particularly in the first half .
I 'm sitting here and I 'm going to have to take full responsibility for that but that has to be the lowest of the low .
I thought Watford ( away ) was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with that .
`` They were poor today .
It 's not about me , it 's about them .
They 've let themselves down .
I said to them before the game , we 've got 13 cup finals , got beat today and deservedly so and players have played themselves out of another cup final next week . ''

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Raging Dean Smith has laid into his Aston Villa players - suggesting how some of played themselves out of next week's Carabao Cup final.
The head coach was in a foul mood after Villa's 2-0 defeat at St Mary's, declaring: "There's too many training-ground players."
Shane Long and Stuart Armstrong put the nail in Villa's coffin on the south-coast and, afterwards, Smith said: "My feelings are one of embarrassment, I suppose. The performance was dreadful highlighted in the first 20 minutes. We talked about a really good start having taken heart from the performance against Spurs. We got probably the opposite.
"They smash a ball in our box we don't win the first header, don't win the second header, give away a corner. Then we had our backs to the wall for 20 minutes. We never competed or showed enough desire to get on the ball.
"Players who last week you'd said put in good performances were poor today.
"There's too many training ground players. You have to perform on a matchday.
"If you want to be a Pl player, you have to perform week in, week out, too many of ours didn't today."
He added: "It was a massive surprise. The thing that hurt me the most was a that lack of fight, particularly in the first half. I'm sitting here and I'm going to have to take full responsibility for that but that has to be the lowest of the low. I thought Watford (away) was bad but today was on a par with that.
"They were poor today. It's not about me, it's about them. They've let themselves down. I said to them before the game, we've got 13 cup finals, got beat today and deservedly so and players have played themselves out of another cup final next week."


birminghammail--2020-02-22--'Superb relationship' - Birmingham City player ratings from home draw with Garry Monk's Sheffield We

'Superb relationship' - Birmingham City player ratings from home draw with Garry Monk's Sheffield Wednesday

Scott Hogan ’ s fourth goal in a Birmingham City shirt gave his team a late , late share of the spoils .
It also extended Blues ’ unbeaten run to 11 games and meant former Blues boss Garry Monk was frustrated on his return to St Andrew ’ s .
Birmingham had looked set for defeat after the visitors twice responded to home goals to then snatch the lead , but then came hero Hogan to save the day .
Clutched at air on Bannan ’ s well placed drive , went the wrong way for Forestieri ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past him before he could react .
However , he won the battle of wits in a one-on-one with Murphy in the second half and produced a flying save to tip over from Wickham .
Badly exposed by Harris for the penalty and then conceded the spot-kick by swiping down Kieran Lee .
Looked to be struggling defensively throughout and failed to make any impact in attack .
Dominant in the air in the Wednesday box and won plenty of headers in his own area too , but found Wickham a bit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ball difficult to judge .
An unstable afternoon which ended with a pinpoint pass forward .
Caught dawdling once in the first half when Bannan picked his pocket .
It was an afternoon for physical power rather than his surgical interventions and he never really looked comfortable .
Wednesday had plenty of joy down his side in the first half and he should have made it 3-2 just before the break .
Swept up quite well in the second period but like Colin precious little chance to get forward .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time an own goal .
But that was an early high point of an otherwise poor afternoon in which the game passed him by .
Had to do plenty of covering as the Owls exploited space behind Maxime Colin .
Looked to be hard pressed to keep the visitors at bay in the second half before he was sacrificed for Crowley ’ s attacking flair .
Not given the platform to produce his trademark driving attacking performance .
Never really got to grips with a midfield dictated by Bannan .
Booked for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Jutkiewicz goal .
Pelupessy man marked him in the first half and though he never stopped running and trying things he wasn ’ t quite able to open Wednesday up .
Looked a danger to the Owls back five with his runs between defenders .
A nice lay off for Jutkiewicz ’ s goal and what a finish for the equaliser .
A natural born goalscorer .
A sweet finish for his 13th of the season .
Won plenty of headers , including the knockdown for the equaliser .
Looks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tried to make an impact but the game was against him

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Scott Hogan’s fourth goal in a Birmingham City shirt gave his team a late, late share of the spoils.
It also extended Blues’ unbeaten run to 11 games and meant former Blues boss Garry Monk was frustrated on his return to St Andrew’s.
Birmingham had looked set for defeat after the visitors twice responded to home goals to then snatch the lead, but then came hero Hogan to save the day.
Here’s how Pep Clotet’s men rated.
STARTING FORMATION
4-4-2
CAMP 7
Clutched at air on Bannan’s well placed drive, went the wrong way for Forestieri’s penalty and Murphy’s shot was past him before he could react.
However, he won the battle of wits in a one-on-one with Murphy in the second half and produced a flying save to tip over from Wickham.
COLIN 5.5
Badly exposed by Harris for the penalty and then conceded the spot-kick by swiping down Kieran Lee. Looked to be struggling defensively throughout and failed to make any impact in attack.
ROBERTS 6
Dominant in the air in the Wednesday box and won plenty of headers in his own area too, but found Wickham a bit of a handful and sometimes found the flight of the ball difficult to judge. An unstable afternoon which ended with a pinpoint pass forward.
CLARKE-SALTER 6
Caught dawdling once in the first half when Bannan picked his pocket. It was an afternoon for physical power rather than his surgical interventions and he never really looked comfortable.
PEDERSEN 6
(Image: TIM EASTHOPE/BIRMINGHAM MAIL)
Wednesday had plenty of joy down his side in the first half and he should have made it 3-2 just before the break. Swept up quite well in the second period but like Colin precious little chance to get forward.
BELA 5
He causes goals to be scored – this time an own goal. But that was an early high point of an otherwise poor afternoon in which the game passed him by.
SUNJIC 6
Had to do plenty of covering as the Owls exploited space behind Maxime Colin. Looked to be hard pressed to keep the visitors at bay in the second half before he was sacrificed for Crowley’s attacking flair.
GARDNER 6
Not given the platform to produce his trademark driving attacking performance. Never really got to grips with a midfield dictated by Bannan. Booked for a poor dive.
BELLINGHAM 6.5
Such a clever screen for the Jutkiewicz goal. Pelupessy man marked him in the first half and though he never stopped running and trying things he wasn’t quite able to open Wednesday up.
HOGAN 7.5
Looked a danger to the Owls back five with his runs between defenders. A nice lay off for Jutkiewicz’s goal and what a finish for the equaliser. A natural born goalscorer.
*JUTKIEWICZ 7.5
A sweet finish for his 13th of the season. Won plenty of headers, including the knockdown for the equaliser. Looks to be building a superb relationship with Hogan.
SUBSTITUTES
CROWLEY (for Sunjic, 69) 5.5
Tried to make an impact but the game was against him
DEAN (for Clarke-Salter, 77) N/A
BELA (for Montero, 83) N/A
Not used: Trueman, Harding, Kieftenbeld, Boyd-Munce.
OPPOSITION
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (5-4-1): Dawson; Palmer, Iorfa (Wickham 45), Borner, Lees, Pelupessy (Fox 45); Harris, Lee, Bannan, Murphy; Forestieri (Fletcher 71). Subs: Wildsmith, Nuhui, Da Cruz, Windass
GOALS
BLUES: Murphy (OG, 4), Jutkiewicz (30)
SHEFF WED: Bannan (20), Forestieri (pen, 34), Murphy (68)
THE REF: John Brooks
ATTENDANCE
22,120 (2,614 away)
NEXT UP
Millwall (a) - Wednesday, February 26, kick-off, 7.45pm


birminghammail--2020-02-22--Aston Villa boss Dean Smith's furious denial over John Terry bust-up claims - report

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith was very quick to slam Twitter rumours of a spat between himself and assistant manager , John Terry .
Social media was awash with rumours after the 2-0 defeat to Southampton that Smith and Terry had to be pulled apart after a confrontation in the tunnel .
It 's a claim that the Villa boss was quick to rubbish when interviewed after the game .
He is reported to have responded : `` That is bullsh*t. '' The origin of the source was said to be a local radio reporter , who has since denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of that one then !
Aston Villa 's away-day blues continued with another beleaguered showing on the south-coast against Southampton .
Just like at Bournemouth in their previous away fixture , Dean Smith 's side were guilty of being on the beach in the opening 45 minutes .
It was old nemesis Shane Long who fired Saints in front after just eight minutes , kneeing into the net after ghosting in to get on the end of Moussa Djenepo 's cross .
The warning signs were there for Smith and Villa from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Will Smallbone struck the post from 25 yards out after his effort took a nick off the the returning Tyrone Mings , the centre-back replacing Bjorn Engels in Villa 's starting XI .
Smith 's other change at St Mary 's was drafting in Marvelous Nakamba for Danny Drinkwater , the Chelsea loanee subsequently being taken out of the firing line after question marks over his fitness .
On this showing , though , Drinkwater could just come back after next week 's final .
January recruit Pepe Reina , meanwhile , had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two attempted passes out in the first half with Danny Ings and then Djenepo being denied from the Spaniard after the duo latched onto Reina 's short kicks upfield .
Saints ' Djenepo , though , continued to cause havoc and kept turning Freddie Guilbert inside out during an inspired first-half performance .
Villa were fortunate to go in at half-time just 0-1 worse off , with Smith waiting until the hour-mark to switch things up .
Saints skipper Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg tested Reina from range with a stinging volley , before the Spaniard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down goal-scorer Long after a hapless headered error which almost allowed the Irishman in for a second .
Conor Hourihane came on with 30 to go , though , replacing a disappointing Ezri Konsa - and the midfielder immediately linked up with Jack Grealish .
The captain fed in Trezeguet who was in on goal , only for the linesman to wrongly flag to put the Egyptian off .
The winger 's effort , though , was tame .
Villa , though , struggled to get a stranglehold in the game with Ralph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start to finish .
Prior to this one , Southampton shamefully boasted the league 's worst home record - but it was Villa who made them look like world beaters .
There was time for another Reina error late on , the 37-year-old failing to claim a loose ball before Kortney Hause came to the rescue .
Villa , though , were totally embarrassed in the 94th-minute for the second week running .
Spanish stopper Reina had pushed up for a corner but he was caught as Saints cleared .
Stuart Armstrong raced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from range to leave Villa and Smith red-faced .
A total shocker at St Mary 's - and questions now need to start being answered .
Next up : Manchester City at Wembley , Carabao Cup final , Sunday , March 1 , 4.30pm kick-off

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Aston Villa boss Dean Smith was very quick to slam Twitter rumours of a spat between himself and assistant manager, John Terry.
Social media was awash with rumours after the 2-0 defeat to Southampton that Smith and Terry had to be pulled apart after a confrontation in the tunnel.
It's a claim that the Villa boss was quick to rubbish when interviewed after the game.
He is reported to have responded: "That is bullsh*t."
The origin of the source was said to be a local radio reporter, who has since denied making the comment.
That's the end of that one then!
Match report
Aston Villa's away-day blues continued with another beleaguered showing on the south-coast against Southampton.
Just like at Bournemouth in their previous away fixture, Dean Smith's side were guilty of being on the beach in the opening 45 minutes.
It was old nemesis Shane Long who fired Saints in front after just eight minutes, kneeing into the net after ghosting in to get on the end of Moussa Djenepo's cross.
The warning signs were there for Smith and Villa from the get-go, though. Twenty-year-old debutant Will Smallbone struck the post from 25 yards out after his effort took a nick off the the returning Tyrone Mings, the centre-back replacing Bjorn Engels in Villa's starting XI.
Smith's other change at St Mary's was drafting in Marvelous Nakamba for Danny Drinkwater, the Chelsea loanee subsequently being taken out of the firing line after question marks over his fitness. On this showing, though, Drinkwater could just come back after next week's final.
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January recruit Pepe Reina, meanwhile, had a real error-strewn afternoon. He misplaced two attempted passes out in the first half with Danny Ings and then Djenepo being denied from the Spaniard after the duo latched onto Reina's short kicks upfield.
Saints' Djenepo, though, continued to cause havoc and kept turning Freddie Guilbert inside out during an inspired first-half performance.
Villa were fortunate to go in at half-time just 0-1 worse off, with Smith waiting until the hour-mark to switch things up.
Saints skipper Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg tested Reina from range with a stinging volley, before the Spaniard was at sixes and sevens, hauling down goal-scorer Long after a hapless headered error which almost allowed the Irishman in for a second.
Conor Hourihane came on with 30 to go, though, replacing a disappointing Ezri Konsa - and the midfielder immediately linked up with Jack Grealish. The captain fed in Trezeguet who was in on goal, only for the linesman to wrongly flag to put the Egyptian off. The winger's effort, though, was tame.
Villa, though, struggled to get a stranglehold in the game with Ralph Hasunhuttl's men bossing the fixture from start to finish.
Prior to this one, Southampton shamefully boasted the league's worst home record - but it was Villa who made them look like world beaters.
There was time for another Reina error late on, the 37-year-old failing to claim a loose ball before Kortney Hause came to the rescue.
Villa, though, were totally embarrassed in the 94th-minute for the second week running. Spanish stopper Reina had pushed up for a corner but he was caught as Saints cleared. Stuart Armstrong raced on before passing into an empty net from range to leave Villa and Smith red-faced. A total shocker at St Mary's - and questions now need to start being answered.
Southampton, 4-2-2-2: McCarthy; Ward-Prowse, Bednarek, Stephens, Bertrand; Smallbone (Romeu, 79), Hojberg; Armstrong, Djenepo; Long (Obafemi, 71), Ings (Adams, 71).
Subs: Gunn, Vestergaard, Boufal, Valery.
Aston Villa, 3-4-3: Reina; Konsa (Hourihane, 58), Mings, Hause; Guilbert, Douglas Luiz, Nakamba (Borja, 80), Targett; El Ghazi (Trezeguet, 28), Samatta, Grealish.
Subs: Nyland, Drinkwater, Engels, Elmohamady.
Referee: Craig Pawson
Booked: Konsa (45), Reina (70)
Goals: Long (8), Armstrong (90+4)
Next up: Manchester City at Wembley, Carabao Cup final, Sunday, March 1, 4.30pm kick-off


birminghammail--2020-02-22--'A shocker!' - Plenty of 4's and 5's as we rate Aston Villa players after Saints slump

Aston Villa were left red-faced for the second week in a row after another 94th-minute error .
Pepe Reina went up for a corner , only for Stuart Armstrong to latch onto a clearance before passing into an empty net to condemn Villa to an embarrassing 2-0 defeat against Southampton .
Old foe Shane Long put Saints ahead after just eight minutes , using his knee to poke him after ghosting between Tyrone Mings and Reina .
Villa , though , were bossed from start to finish against a side who , prior to this one , boasted the worst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On yet another poor day out on the road , Ashley Preece dishes out the ratings - and they 're not for the faint-hearted .
Redeemed himself twice to deny Ings and then Djenepo one-on-one in the opening half after his elaborate passes were way short of their intended destinations .
Made a right hash of a long ball in the second half , yanking down Long after a poor header almost allowed the Saints goal-scorer to notch a second .
Flapped at one inside the box before Hause came to the rescue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - only for Armstrong to pass into his empty net .
A really bad performance .
Gave a rollicking by Smith early on , looked at sixes and sevens with Bertrand , Djenepo and Long causing havoc down Saints ' left-side .
Caught under the ball after Reina 's kick was all too short and Ings was in after squeezing past Mings .
Was hooked just after half-time , with Smith opting to keep on two left footers at centre-back which was telling into Konsa 's disappointing showing .
Booked Must have cleared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five minutes .
It 's a good job Smith has the colossal defender back or Saints could have been out of sight .
Kept on by Smith after Konsa 's withdrawal , moving to play alongside Mings in a two-man central defence .
Made a crucial block to deny Bertrand late on .
Was n't Villa 's worst player .
A shocker of a 45 from the Frenchman who was turned inside out at every opportunity by Djenepo .
Not at the races at all .
Had a real nightmare , control was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day to forget for Freddie , who was sporting a bandage on his right knee .
Improved only slightly in the second half but , again , that 's not saying much .
Needs to dust himself down and find that form from earlier in the season .
Poor .
Far , far too lax in the opening half .
Totally dominated , could n't get going at all .
Smith would have put a rocket up him at the break , the Brazilian was a little better and took extra care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control to trap balls on the bounce from midair .
Came in for Drinkwater but did n't put in a dominant showing he would have liked .
Villa were left wanting - and Nakamba did all he could be he was n't helped by what was in front of him .
Saints ' academy graduate was back at St Mary 's for the first time since his summer move .
His boyhood club fronted him on their match-day programme - but it was a day to forget for the wing-back .
Targett put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was nowhere near as fruitful as he 's been of late .
Lost his head and kicked out at Armstrong in the second half .
Taken off after just 28 minutes following a whack off Bednarek .
Attempted a couple of crosses from the right , with Bertrand having his number .
We 'll see what the diagnosis is on his injury .
Was he up for the fight ?
Not sure .
Up on his own and looked a lonely soul in Villa 's attack .
Did put the ball in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half .
Like most , found it tough going and was n't given any service whatsoever , with Konsa and the like just pumping hopeful balls up to him .
Could n't get going and looked frustrated .
Villa 's only shining light in attack once again , but it does n't say much given what 's another bad defeat on the road .
Saints just pulled him down at every opportunity .
Tried to rally with mazy dribbles but he ca n't keep trying his damndest on his own out there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sadly , who must be worried at Villa 's survival prospects now .
He has 11 games to go to save Villa .
Trezeguet ( on for El Ghazi after 28 minutes ) , 4.5 Got an early call up off the bench .
Was put through on the hour-mark but his tame shot was saved by McCarthy .
The offside flag went up but , on second viewing , the Egyptian was on .
Should have done better with that chance .
It 's just not happening for Trez in a Villa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( on for Konsa after 58 minutes ) , 5.5 Came straight into a midfield three and immediately made an impact by linking up with Grealish before the skipper fed in Trezeguet who was adjudged to have been offside .
Neat in possession at times and will fancy his chances of breaking into this XI again .
Will he get the chance to do so ?
It 'll be up to Smith .
Looked to have more about him than his teammates in the middle .
Borja Baston ( on for Nakamba after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavy touch in the box when braced for an effort on target .
Other than that , was a bystander as Saints continued to pile it on .

Aston Villa were left red-faced for the second week in a row after another 94th-minute error.
Pepe Reina went up for a corner, only for Stuart Armstrong to latch onto a clearance before passing into an empty net to condemn Villa to an embarrassing 2-0 defeat against Southampton.
Old foe Shane Long put Saints ahead after just eight minutes, using his knee to poke him after ghosting between Tyrone Mings and Reina.
Villa, though, were bossed from start to finish against a side who, prior to this one, boasted the worst home record in the Premier League.
On yet another poor day out on the road, Ashley Preece dishes out the ratings - and they're not for the faint-hearted.
Pepe Reina, 4
Redeemed himself twice to deny Ings and then Djenepo one-on-one in the opening half after his elaborate passes were way short of their intended destinations. Made a right hash of a long ball in the second half, yanking down Long after a poor header almost allowed the Saints goal-scorer to notch a second. Flapped at one inside the box before Hause came to the rescue before being caught upfield for a corner - only for Armstrong to pass into his empty net. A really bad performance.
Ezri Konsa, 4.5
Gave a rollicking by Smith early on, looked at sixes and sevens with Bertrand, Djenepo and Long causing havoc down Saints' left-side. Caught under the ball after Reina's kick was all too short and Ings was in after squeezing past Mings. Was hooked just after half-time, with Smith opting to keep on two left footers at centre-back which was telling into Konsa's disappointing showing. Booked
Tyrone Mings, 5.5
Must have cleared six or seven balls within the first five minutes. It's a good job Smith has the colossal defender back or Saints could have been out of sight.
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Kortney Hause, 5
Kept on by Smith after Konsa's withdrawal, moving to play alongside Mings in a two-man central defence. Made a crucial block to deny Bertrand late on. Wasn't Villa's worst player.
Freddie Guilbert, 4
A shocker of a 45 from the Frenchman who was turned inside out at every opportunity by Djenepo. Not at the races at all. Had a real nightmare, control was all over the shop. It was a day to forget for Freddie, who was sporting a bandage on his right knee. Improved only slightly in the second half but, again, that's not saying much. Needs to dust himself down and find that form from earlier in the season. Poor.
Douglas Luiz, 5
Far, far too lax in the opening half. Totally dominated, couldn't get going at all. Smith would have put a rocket up him at the break, the Brazilian was a little better and took extra care in the second period.
Marvelous Nakamba, 5
Showed neat control to trap balls on the bounce from midair. Came in for Drinkwater but didn't put in a dominant showing he would have liked. Villa were left wanting - and Nakamba did all he could be he wasn't helped by what was in front of him.
Matt Targett, 5.5
Saints' academy graduate was back at St Mary's for the first time since his summer move. His boyhood club fronted him on their match-day programme - but it was a day to forget for the wing-back. Targett put in a couple of crosses - but was nowhere near as fruitful as he's been of late. Lost his head and kicked out at Armstrong in the second half.
Anwar El Ghazi, 4
Taken off after just 28 minutes following a whack off Bednarek. Attempted a couple of crosses from the right, with Bertrand having his number. We'll see what the diagnosis is on his injury. Was he up for the fight? Not sure.
Mbwana Samatta, 5
Up on his own and looked a lonely soul in Villa's attack. Did put the ball in the net but was offside in the first half. Like most, found it tough going and wasn't given any service whatsoever, with Konsa and the like just pumping hopeful balls up to him. Couldn't get going and looked frustrated.
Jack Grealish, 6
Villa's only shining light in attack once again, but it doesn't say much given what's another bad defeat on the road. Saints just pulled him down at every opportunity. Tried to rally with mazy dribbles but he can't keep trying his damndest on his own out there. A forgetful day for the skipper, sadly, who must be worried at Villa's survival prospects now. He has 11 games to go to save Villa.
Subs
Trezeguet (on for El Ghazi after 28 minutes), 4.5
Got an early call up off the bench. Was put through on the hour-mark but his tame shot was saved by McCarthy. The offside flag went up but, on second viewing, the Egyptian was on. Should have done better with that chance. It's just not happening for Trez in a Villa shirt. Lacked quality.
Conor Hourihane (on for Konsa after 58 minutes), 5.5
Came straight into a midfield three and immediately made an impact by linking up with Grealish before the skipper fed in Trezeguet who was adjudged to have been offside. Neat in possession at times and will fancy his chances of breaking into this XI again. Will he get the chance to do so? It'll be up to Smith. Looked to have more about him than his teammates in the middle.
Borja Baston (on for Nakamba after 80 minutes), 4.5
Took a heavy touch in the box when braced for an effort on target. Other than that, was a bystander as Saints continued to pile it on.


birminghammail--2020-02-22--'A man possessed' - The West Brom player ratings after Bristol City thrashing

West Brom extended their lead over the play-off chasing pack with a fine performance and emphatic victory at promotion rivals Bristol City .
Callum Robinson opened the scoring and then Hal Robson-Kanu added a goal in each half to give the score-line impressive look at Ashton Gate .
Slaven Bilic made one change to his team - Ahmed Hegazi replaced Kyle Bartley in the back-line - but elsewhere the instructions were simple : go out and deliver as you have been recently - they did so , and more .
What a key weekend and set of results this could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promotion .
Here is how we rated the players .
If you want to follow all things Albion via social media then this is the place to find out how .
Transfers , injuries , match-day videos and photos and the thoughts of the manager and his players , we ’ ve got you covered .
We ’ ll be bringing the very latest throughout the week and around the clock .
Make sure you keep yourself updated with our social media accounts ... Twitter : All the latest news as it happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion , analysis and transfer gossip , click here You can follow our reporter Joseph Chapman on Twitter , and his email address is Joseph.Chapman @ reachplc.com Brilliant late save to deny Wells a shot from distance late on , but in truth he had very little to do .
Rather unfortunate to be booked for a sliding challenge on Eliasson as the winger made for Albion ’ s box , but O ’ Shea was otherwise fearless when challenging for balls he had no right to .
Calm in possession as Albion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with attacks in which he was involved .
Did the simple things well in the first 45 , putting dangerous loose balls out of play and keeping things simple when in possession .
Seemed to deal suitably with the physical presence of Diedhiou .
Recalled into the starting line-up , but his first start in a while didn ’ t begin in a confident manner - there were a couple of occasions where he gave up possession with time on his hands , but from there he appeared more assured .
Well earned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vindicated .
The left-back has really made the left-back spot his own in the last few weeks , with Bilic ’ s other options absent .
Here he took to the challenge of silencing O ’ Dowda and then Weimann on the Robins ’ right .
This was better from Sawyers , who has suffered a loss of form recently , but he certainly has more to offer still .
Rather casual on the ball in the first half , but he began picking out teammates with passes when in space .
Lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He raised his hands , which you just can ’ t do .
Set the tone , as usual , with a couple of fearless tackles in the opening stages .
Grabbed the early initiative and ran with it .
He pulls everyone together , his leadership skills always on show .
Was back helping in the corners , chasing down lost causes .
A colossal effort , a man possessed today .
Had quite a quiet first half , by his recent lofty standards .
Kept the ball moving without influencing games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Showed real heart as Bristol attempted to wrestle some momentum back .
Some lovely touches in the first half and might ’ ve had an assist if Livermore ’ s shot had found the corner .
Set-pieces were lacking in the first period .
Boos from the supporters who cheered him on during his loan spell , he only increased the volume when he opened the scoring , in fortunate circumstances .
Besides that , he was not as influential as last week .
The goals haven ’ t flowed for him quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liked recently , but here his predatory instinct was evident with the second goal .
Worked his socks off , forcing errors out of the back-line .
Should ’ ve scored more .
Up next : Preston ( h ) - Tuesday 25 February ( 8pm kick off )

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West Brom extended their lead over the play-off chasing pack with a fine performance and emphatic victory at promotion rivals Bristol City.
Callum Robinson opened the scoring and then Hal Robson-Kanu added a goal in each half to give the score-line impressive look at Ashton Gate.
Slaven Bilic made one change to his team - Ahmed Hegazi replaced Kyle Bartley in the back-line - but elsewhere the instructions were simple: go out and deliver as you have been recently - they did so, and more.
What a key weekend and set of results this could be for Albion in their quest for promotion.
Here is how we rated the players.
Johnstone 7
Brilliant late save to deny Wells a shot from distance late on, but in truth he had very little to do.
O’Shea 8
Rather unfortunate to be booked for a sliding challenge on Eliasson as the winger made for Albion’s box, but O’Shea was otherwise fearless when challenging for balls he had no right to.
Calm in possession as Albion laid siege to the Bristol box, with attacks in which he was involved.
Ajayi 8
Did the simple things well in the first 45, putting dangerous loose balls out of play and keeping things simple when in possession. Seemed to deal suitably with the physical presence of Diedhiou.
Hegazi 8
Recalled into the starting line-up, but his first start in a while didn’t begin in a confident manner - there were a couple of occasions where he gave up possession with time on his hands, but from there he appeared more assured. Well earned clean sheet and Bilic’s decision vindicated.
Townsend 8
The left-back has really made the left-back spot his own in the last few weeks, with Bilic’s other options absent. Here he took to the challenge of silencing O’Dowda and then Weimann on the Robins’ right.
Sawyers 5
This was better from Sawyers, who has suffered a loss of form recently, but he certainly has more to offer still. Rather casual on the ball in the first half, but he began picking out teammates with passes when in space. Lost his head with Paterson, though. He raised his hands, which you just can’t do.
Livermore 10*
Set the tone, as usual, with a couple of fearless tackles in the opening stages. Grabbed the early initiative and ran with it. He pulls everyone together, his leadership skills always on show. Was back helping in the corners, chasing down lost causes. A colossal effort, a man possessed today.
Krovinovic 7
Had quite a quiet first half, by his recent lofty standards. Kept the ball moving without influencing games as he has done of late.
Showed real heart as Bristol attempted to wrestle some momentum back.
Pereira 7
Some lovely touches in the first half and might’ve had an assist if Livermore’s shot had found the corner. Set-pieces were lacking in the first period.
Robinson 7
Boos from the supporters who cheered him on during his loan spell, he only increased the volume when he opened the scoring, in fortunate circumstances.
Besides that, he was not as influential as last week.
Robson-Kanu 9
The goals haven’t flowed for him quite as much as he’d have liked recently, but here his predatory instinct was evident with the second goal. Worked his socks off, forcing errors out of the back-line. Should’ve scored more.
SUBS
Grosicki (for Robinson 73)
Harper (for Krovinovic 80)
Phillips (for Pereira 85)
Subs not used: Bond, Furlong, Bartley, Austin
Bristol City: Bentley; Hunt, Williams, Benkovic, Dasilva; O’Dowda (Weimann 61), Henriksen, Nagy (Palmer 73), Eliasson (Paterson 61), Wells, Diedhiou
Subs not used: Wollacott, Baker, Kalas, Rowe
GOALS
Bristol City - ; Albion - Robinson 32, Robson-Kanu 37, 80
The ref: Darren England
Attendance:
Up next: Preston (h) - Tuesday 25 February (8pm kick off)


birminghammail--2020-02-22--Southampton 2 Aston Villa 0 live - match report, pictures and reaction as Armstrong and Long pile on

Southampton 2 Aston Villa 0 live - match report, pictures and reaction as Armstrong and Long pile on misery

Aston Villa 's away-day blues continued with another beleaguered showing on the south-coast against Southampton .
Just like at Bournemouth in their previous away fixture , Dean Smith 's side were guilty of being on the beach in the opening 45 minutes .
It was old nemesis Shane Long who fired Saints in front after just eight minutes , kneeing into the net after ghosting in to get on the end of Moussa Djenepo 's cross .
The warning signs were there for Smith and Villa from the get-go , though .
Twenty-year-old debutant Will Smallbone struck the post from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nick off the the returning Tyrone Mings , the centre-back replacing Bjorn Engels in Villa 's starting XI .
Smith 's other change at St Mary 's was drafting in Marvelous Nakamba for Danny Drinkwater , the Chelsea loanee subsequently being taken out of the firing line after question marks over his fitness .
On this showing , though , Drinkwater could just come back after next week 's final .
January recruit Pepe Reina , meanwhile , had a real error-strewn afternoon .
He misplaced two attempted passes out in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Djenepo being denied from the Spaniard after the duo latched onto Reina 's short kicks upfield .
Saints ' Djenepo , though , continued to cause havoc and kept turning Freddie Guilbert inside out during an inspired first-half performance .
Villa were fortunate to go in at half-time just 0-1 worse off , with Smith waiting until the hour-mark to switch things up .
Saints skipper Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg tested Reina from range with a stinging volley , before the Spaniard was at sixes and sevens , hauling down goal-scorer Long after a hapless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in for a second .
Conor Hourihane came on with 30 to go , though , replacing a disappointing Ezri Konsa - and the midfielder immediately linked up with Jack Grealish .
The captain fed in Trezeguet who was in on goal , only for the linesman to wrongly flag to put the Egyptian off .
The winger 's effort , though , was tame .
Villa , though , struggled to get a stranglehold in the game with Ralph Hasunhuttl 's men bossing the fixture from start to finish .
Prior to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ league 's worst home record - but it was Villa who made them look like world beaters .
There was time for another Reina error late on , the 37-year-old failing to claim a loose ball before Kortney Hause came to the rescue .
Villa , though , were totally embarrassed in the 94th-minute for the second week running .
Spanish stopper Reina had pushed up for a corner but he was caught as Saints cleared .
Stuart Armstrong raced on before passing into an empty net from range to leave Villa and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St Mary 's - and questions now need to start being answered .
Next up : Manchester City at Wembley , Carabao Cup final , Sunday , March 1 , 4.30pm kick-off

Aston Villa's away-day blues continued with another beleaguered showing on the south-coast against Southampton.
Just like at Bournemouth in their previous away fixture, Dean Smith's side were guilty of being on the beach in the opening 45 minutes.
It was old nemesis Shane Long who fired Saints in front after just eight minutes, kneeing into the net after ghosting in to get on the end of Moussa Djenepo's cross.
The warning signs were there for Smith and Villa from the get-go, though. Twenty-year-old debutant Will Smallbone struck the post from 25 yards out after his effort took a nick off the the returning Tyrone Mings, the centre-back replacing Bjorn Engels in Villa's starting XI.
Smith's other change at St Mary's was drafting in Marvelous Nakamba for Danny Drinkwater, the Chelsea loanee subsequently being taken out of the firing line after question marks over his fitness. On this showing, though, Drinkwater could just come back after next week's final.
January recruit Pepe Reina, meanwhile, had a real error-strewn afternoon. He misplaced two attempted passes out in the first half with Danny Ings and then Djenepo being denied from the Spaniard after the duo latched onto Reina's short kicks upfield.
Saints' Djenepo, though, continued to cause havoc and kept turning Freddie Guilbert inside out during an inspired first-half performance.
Villa were fortunate to go in at half-time just 0-1 worse off, with Smith waiting until the hour-mark to switch things up.
Saints skipper Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg tested Reina from range with a stinging volley, before the Spaniard was at sixes and sevens, hauling down goal-scorer Long after a hapless headered error which almost allowed the Irishman in for a second.
Conor Hourihane came on with 30 to go, though, replacing a disappointing Ezri Konsa - and the midfielder immediately linked up with Jack Grealish. The captain fed in Trezeguet who was in on goal, only for the linesman to wrongly flag to put the Egyptian off. The winger's effort, though, was tame.
Villa, though, struggled to get a stranglehold in the game with Ralph Hasunhuttl's men bossing the fixture from start to finish.
Prior to this one, Southampton shamefully boasted the league's worst home record - but it was Villa who made them look like world beaters.
There was time for another Reina error late on, the 37-year-old failing to claim a loose ball before Kortney Hause came to the rescue.
Villa, though, were totally embarrassed in the 94th-minute for the second week running. Spanish stopper Reina had pushed up for a corner but he was caught as Saints cleared. Stuart Armstrong raced on before passing into an empty net from range to leave Villa and Smith red-faced. A total shocker at St Mary's - and questions now need to start being answered.
Southampton, 4-2-2-2: McCarthy; Ward-Prowse, Bednarek, Stephens, Bertrand; Smallbone (Romeu, 79), Hojberg; Armstrong, Djenepo; Long (Obafemi, 71), Ings (Adams, 71).
Subs: Gunn, Vestergaard, Boufal, Valery.
Aston Villa, 3-4-3: Reina; Konsa (Hourihane, 58), Mings, Hause; Guilbert, Douglas Luiz, Nakamba (Borja, 80), Targett; El Ghazi (Trezeguet, 28), Samatta, Grealish.
Subs: Nyland, Drinkwater, Engels, Elmohamady.
Referee: Craig Pawson
Booked: Konsa (45), Reina (70)
Goals: Long (8), Armstrong (90+4)
Next up: Manchester City at Wembley, Carabao Cup final, Sunday, March 1, 4.30pm kick-off


birminghammail--2020-02-22--Slaven Bilic press conference LIVE: West Brom boss on Bristol mauling

West Brom extended their lead over the play-off chasing pack with a fine performance and emphatic victory at promotion rivals Bristol City .
Callum Robinson opened the scoring and then Hal Robson-Kanu added a goal in each half to give the score-line impressive look at Ashton Gate .
Slaven Bilic made one change to his team - Ahmed Hegazi replaced Kyle Bartley in the back-line - but elsewhere the instructions were simple : go out and deliver as you have been recently .
The Robins started the game marginally better , but didn ’ t test Sam Johnstone in any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close through the imperious Livermore and Robson-Kanu .
They took the lead just after the half hour mark , though , when Livermore wrestled possession back in the opposing half and fed the Welshman .
He slipped in Robinson , and the former City loanee scored in fortunate circumstances - his first shot was saved by Dan Bentley , but the rebound ricocheted off his face and into the empty net .
Albion doubled their advantage five minutes later , when Bentley spilled Livermore ’ s strike from range and Robson-Kanu was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They picked up the baton in the second period , without killing the game , and just like against Reading they invited pressure .
The hosts were spurred on when Sawyers and Paterson clashed , with the latter already penalised for a foul , and when Sawyers raised his hand to the winger ’ s throat , ref Darren England fetched his red card after consulting his assistant .
That ought to have set up a tense finale , but instead Albion killed the game there and then .
An awful header backwards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in and he lashed the ball past Bentley for his second of the game .
What a key weekend and set of results this could be for Albion in their quest for promotion .

West Brom extended their lead over the play-off chasing pack with a fine performance and emphatic victory at promotion rivals Bristol City.
Callum Robinson opened the scoring and then Hal Robson-Kanu added a goal in each half to give the score-line impressive look at Ashton Gate.
Slaven Bilic made one change to his team - Ahmed Hegazi replaced Kyle Bartley in the back-line - but elsewhere the instructions were simple: go out and deliver as you have been recently.
The Robins started the game marginally better, but didn’t test Sam Johnstone in any way. Albion, meanwhile, came close through the imperious Livermore and Robson-Kanu.
They took the lead just after the half hour mark, though, when Livermore wrestled possession back in the opposing half and fed the Welshman.
He slipped in Robinson, and the former City loanee scored in fortunate circumstances - his first shot was saved by Dan Bentley, but the rebound ricocheted off his face and into the empty net.
Albion doubled their advantage five minutes later, when Bentley spilled Livermore’s strike from range and Robson-Kanu was on hand to gobble up the rebound.
They picked up the baton in the second period, without killing the game, and just like against Reading they invited pressure. The hosts were spurred on when Sawyers and Paterson clashed, with the latter already penalised for a foul, and when Sawyers raised his hand to the winger’s throat, ref Darren England fetched his red card after consulting his assistant.
That ought to have set up a tense finale, but instead Albion killed the game there and then.
An awful header backwards by Ashley Williams allowed Robson-Kanu to nip in and he lashed the ball past Bentley for his second of the game.
What a key weekend and set of results this could be for Albion in their quest for promotion.


birminghammail--2020-02-22--Amir Khan's wife Faryal Makhdoom gives birth to baby boy as couple reveal adorable name

Faryal Makhdoom has given birth to her first baby son with Amir Khan .
Amir , the former Olympic athlete , has seen Faryal give birth to his third child - and first son .
The pair already share Lamaisah Khan , four , and 21-month-old Alayha Khan , both daughters .
Amir , from Bolton , in Lancashire , has family ties to the West Midlands and enjoyed his big British comeback to boxing in Birmingham last year .
The boxer , who represented Team GB at the Olympic Games in 2004 in Athens , Greece , will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy couple wrote on social media today : `` My beautiful Son Muhammad Zaviyar Khan was born today 22/02/20 weighing 7lbs 12oz .
# dadofthree # alhumdulilah # blessed '' Amir and Faryal recently splashed out for their daughter 's birthday .
The boxer and his wife spent a whopping £75,000 - including a five-tier cake .
Little Alayna was dwarfed by the huge five-tier cake specially made for her rainforest-themed bash , reports Examiner Live .
A pharmacist provided the cake for the lavish first birthday party of boxer Amir 's daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Faryal almost split .
They reconciled when she revealed she was expecting their second child .
Amir also accused her of cheating with Anthony Joshua , which both she and the former world heavyweight champion denied .
Faryal fired back saying her husband was “ bad around women ” .

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Faryal Makhdoom has given birth to her first baby son with Amir Khan.
Amir, the former Olympic athlete, has seen Faryal give birth to his third child - and first son.
The pair already share Lamaisah Khan, four, and 21-month-old Alayha Khan, both daughters.
Amir, from Bolton, in Lancashire, has family ties to the West Midlands and enjoyed his big British comeback to boxing in Birmingham last year.
The boxer, who represented Team GB at the Olympic Games in 2004 in Athens, Greece, will be delighted by the new arrival.
The happy couple wrote on social media today: "My beautiful Son Muhammad Zaviyar Khan was born today 22/02/20 weighing 7lbs 12oz. #dadofthree #alhumdulilah #blessed"
Amir and Faryal recently splashed out for their daughter's birthday.
The boxer and his wife spent a whopping £75,000 - including a five-tier cake.
Little Alayna was dwarfed by the huge five-tier cake specially made for her rainforest-themed bash, reports Examiner Live .
A pharmacist provided the cake for the lavish first birthday party of boxer Amir's daughter.
In 2017 Bolton-born Amir and American Faryal almost split.
They reconciled when she revealed she was expecting their second child.
Amir also accused her of cheating with Anthony Joshua, which both she and the former world heavyweight champion denied.
Faryal fired back saying her husband was “bad around women”.


birminghammail--2020-02-22--Southampton vs Aston Villa

Southampton vs Aston Villa

Sport gallery
Southampton vs Aston Villa
Southampton vs Aston Villa - the match in pictures


birminghammail--2020-02-22--Hitmen slay suspect in horrific murder of Birmingham businessman

A man allegedly involved in the sadistic slaying of a Birmingham businessman in Jamaica has been “ rubbed out ” by contract killers .
The family of Keith Murrain – abducted , stripped and executed in 2014 – have been informed the suspect ’ s car was sprayed with bullets as he drove through Mandeville in the island ’ s Manchester parish .
The murder , which took place six weeks ago , adds to a disturbingly long body count in the town .
Mr Murrain ’ s closest UK business associate – a man who asked not to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – this week rubbished detectives ’ claims the dead driver was directly involved in his friend ’ s murder .
He believes hitmen killed the wrong man .
Their target was a Mr Big , believed to have funded 54-year-old Mr Murrain ’ s kidnap .
They opened fire on his car – but an associate was driving it .
Mr Murrain ’ s family have also rubbished the Jamaican police claims .
They think the “ hit ” is a convenient way of closing a case that appears to have hit a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the father-of-three ’ s death , despite a 350,000 Jamaican dollar reward –around £2,000 .
Even by the bloody standards of Jamaican criminals , Mr Murrain ’ s murder stood out because of its bestial savagery .
The MD of a company that exported plant machinery to the island , he was snatched from his hire car shortly after landing at Norman Manley Airport on a business trip .
He was dragged from the vehicle and bundled into a waiting motor .
Mr Murrain ’ s driver was pistol-whipped until unconscious .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the following day in a sugarcane field .
He had been robbed and stripped before kidnappers slit his throat .
His Birmingham business partner has travelled to Jamaica four times in the search for answers .
“ I was around Keith 24/7 , ” he said .
“ He was vivacious , a businessman with drive , full of energy .
“ He cared for his children – that ’ s why , in the last couple of years , he didn ’ t have a proper grasp of his business .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was a very fair businessman .
He opened a lot of doors as far as exporting from here to Jamaica goes.
” Mr Murrain flew out to address concerns over the West Indies end of his operation .
“ I don ’ t think the shot man was even on the periphery of Keith ’ s murder , ” he added .
“ It was a contract killing , but the contract had been taken out on another person , the Mr Big.
” He is the second suspect in the Keith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2015 , a member of notorious Caribbean “ murder for pay ” squad The Klansman Gang was gunned down during a stand-off with cops .
Detectives released details of his alias , Tulus , and said that a Thompson sub-machine gun had been recovered from the scene of the Kitson shoot-out .
Last night , Mr Murrain ’ s sister Jennifer said : “ The communication from Jamaica over the murder has now completely broken down .
It ’ s very sad , it ’ s broken the family .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken the family .
”

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A man allegedly involved in the sadistic slaying of a Birmingham businessman in Jamaica has been “rubbed out” by contract killers. The family of Keith Murrain – abducted, stripped and executed in 2014 – have been informed the suspect’s car was sprayed with bullets as he drove through Mandeville in the island’s Manchester parish.
The murder, which took place six weeks ago, adds to a disturbingly long body count in the town. Mr Murrain’s closest UK business associate – a man who asked not to be named because he has family in Jamaica – this week rubbished detectives’ claims the dead driver was directly involved in his friend’s murder.
He believes hitmen killed the wrong man. Their target was a Mr Big, believed to have funded 54-year-old Mr Murrain’s kidnap. They opened fire on his car – but an associate was driving it. Mr Murrain’s family have also rubbished the Jamaican police claims. They think the “hit” is a convenient way of closing a case that appears to have hit a cul-de-sac.
No-one has faced trial over the father-of-three’s death, despite a 350,000 Jamaican dollar reward –around £2,000. Even by the bloody standards of Jamaican criminals, Mr Murrain’s murder stood out because of its bestial savagery.
(Image: Birmingham Mail)
The MD of a company that exported plant machinery to the island, he was snatched from his hire car shortly after landing at Norman Manley Airport on a business trip. He was dragged from the vehicle and bundled into a waiting motor. Mr Murrain’s driver was pistol-whipped until unconscious.
The Edgbaston man’s body was discovered the following day in a sugarcane field. He had been robbed and stripped before kidnappers slit his throat. His Birmingham business partner has travelled to Jamaica four times in the search for answers.
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“I was around Keith 24/7,” he said. “He was vivacious, a businessman with drive, full of energy. “He cared for his children – that’s why, in the last couple of years, he didn’t have a proper grasp of his business. “His family came before his business. He was a very fair businessman. He opened a lot of doors as far as exporting from here to Jamaica goes.”
Mr Murrain flew out to address concerns over the West Indies end of his operation. “I don’t think the shot man was even on the periphery of Keith’s murder,” he added. “It was a contract killing, but the contract had been taken out on another person, the Mr Big.” He is the second suspect in the Keith Murrain investigation to lose his life violently.
In 2015, a member of notorious Caribbean “murder for pay” squad The Klansman Gang was gunned down during a stand-off with cops. Detectives released details of his alias, Tulus, and said that a Thompson sub-machine gun had been recovered from the scene of the Kitson shoot-out. Last night, Mr Murrain’s sister Jennifer said: “The communication from Jamaica over the murder has now completely broken down. It’s very sad, it’s broken the family. The fact they’ve got no-one has broken the family.”


birminghammail--2020-02-23--New £22 million train station opens in Worcestershire - including services to London

A new £22 million train station has opened in the Midlands today ( Sunday ) giving local passengers more options when travelling by rail .
Worcestershire Parkway will run frequent services to London Paddington as well as Cardiff and Bristol .
Located in Norton , just a mile outside Worcester city centre , it is the first new rail station to be built in Worcestershire for over 100 years .
It takes the pressure off the already-congested Birmingham and Worcester train stations .
The first train passed through the station on Sunday , February 23 , and was the 8.30am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is a car park with 500 parking spaces , with charges of £5 a day or £3 for the whole day after 10am and at weekends .
Services to Cardiff and London Paddington , Oxford , Nottingham and Derby will operate from there .
Great Western Railway services serving Hereford , Great Malvern , Worcester , and the Thames Valley will also pass through the new station .
Other stations served include Pershore , Evesham Gloucester Central , Cheltenham Spa , Ashchurch for Tewkesbury and Birmingham New Street .
Worcestershire Parkway will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Nottingham route , a new service which does not stop at any other station in the county .
Worcestershire County Council funded and built the station , and was supported by the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership .
Its cabinet member for economy and infrastructure , Coun Ken Pollock , said the opening of the station heralded a new era .
`` The station is set to transform rail travel to and from the county and not only that , it looks great as well .
I ’ d like to thank all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has been talked about for over 30 years , a reality , '' he said .
This brand new station follows improvements already made at Bromsgrove , Foregate Street in Worcester , Malvern Link and Kidderminster .
Cyclists are also catered for , with plenty of bike parking .
The station will also help to remove traffic from the county ’ s main roads and motorways .
Currently , there are many commuters that drive the entire journey to major cities such as Bristol , London or Cardiff .
Or they drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access better parking facilities and faster services to major cities .
The opening of the new facility comes at a time when transport bosses are talking about opening up new stations across Birmingham - including Stirchley and Kings Heath .

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A new £22 million train station has opened in the Midlands today (Sunday) giving local passengers more options when travelling by rail.
Worcestershire Parkway will run frequent services to London Paddington as well as Cardiff and Bristol.
Located in Norton, just a mile outside Worcester city centre, it is the first new rail station to be built in Worcestershire for over 100 years. It takes the pressure off the already-congested Birmingham and Worcester train stations.
(Image: Worcestershire County Council)
The first train passed through the station on Sunday, February 23, and was the 8.30am to London Paddington.
At the station there is a car park with 500 parking spaces, with charges of £5 a day or £3 for the whole day after 10am and at weekends.
Services to Cardiff and London Paddington, Oxford, Nottingham and Derby will operate from there. Great Western Railway services serving Hereford, Great Malvern, Worcester, and the Thames Valley will also pass through the new station.
Other stations served include Pershore, Evesham Gloucester Central, Cheltenham Spa, Ashchurch for Tewkesbury and Birmingham New Street.
(Image: Worcestershire County Council)
Worcestershire Parkway will also have trains on the CrossCountry Cardiff to Nottingham route, a new service which does not stop at any other station in the county.
Worcestershire County Council funded and built the station, and was supported by the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership.
Its cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, Coun Ken Pollock, said the opening of the station heralded a new era.
" The station is set to transform rail travel to and from the county and not only that, it looks great as well. I’d like to thank all those involved in making this station, which has been talked about for over 30 years, a reality," he said.
This brand new station follows improvements already made at Bromsgrove, Foregate Street in Worcester, Malvern Link and Kidderminster.
Cyclists are also catered for, with plenty of bike parking. The station will also help to remove traffic from the county’s main roads and motorways.
Currently, there are many commuters that drive the entire journey to major cities such as Bristol, London or Cardiff. Or they drive to larger stations out of Worcestershire to access better parking facilities and faster services to major cities.
The opening of the new facility comes at a time when transport bosses are talking about opening up new stations across Birmingham - including Stirchley and Kings Heath.


birminghammail--2020-02-23--Aston Villa battling Premier League rival for summer transfer - reports

Aston Villa and West Ham United are both monitoring Gillingham 's highly-rated central defender Jack Tucker , according to reports .
The 20-year-old has become an integral part of Steve Evans ' League One side , playing in 26 of their league fixtures this season .
Tucker has been turning heads in recent weeks and is widely expected to earn a call-up to the England U21s sooner rather than later .
That form has reportedly impressed a number of Premier League clubs , including Villa , who could make a move in the summer window .
According to the Sun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Tucker since they met the Gills in the FA Cup in the January .
Tucker has recently signed a new deal at the Priestfield Stadium , but they could be forced to sell , should a suitable offer come in .
In recent weeks , Villa boss Dean Smith has played three centre backs - with Tyrone Mings , Ezri Konsa , Kortney Hause and Bjorn Engels all used .
Club captain James Chester was deemed surplus to requirements and allowed to leave on-loan in the January window , with his contract @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could mean that Smith could look for a long-term replacement for Chester and Tucker could fit the bill .

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Aston Villa and West Ham United are both monitoring Gillingham's highly-rated central defender Jack Tucker, according to reports.
The 20-year-old has become an integral part of Steve Evans' League One side, playing in 26 of their league fixtures this season.
Tucker has been turning heads in recent weeks and is widely expected to earn a call-up to the England U21s sooner rather than later.
That form has reportedly impressed a number of Premier League clubs, including Villa, who could make a move in the summer window.
According to the Sun, West Ham scouts have been raving about Tucker since they met the Gills in the FA Cup in the January. Tucker has recently signed a new deal at the Priestfield Stadium, but they could be forced to sell, should a suitable offer come in.
In recent weeks, Villa boss Dean Smith has played three centre backs - with Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa, Kortney Hause and Bjorn Engels all used. Club captain James Chester was deemed surplus to requirements and allowed to leave on-loan in the January window, with his contract running out in the summer.
That could mean that Smith could look for a long-term replacement for Chester and Tucker could fit the bill.


birminghammail--2020-02-23--Ant and Dec stun couple with £260,000 home on Saturday Night Takeaway after hearing heartbreaking st

Ant and Dec stun couple with £260,000 home on Saturday Night Takeaway after hearing heartbreaking story

Ant and Dec 's Saturday Night Takeaway is back on our screens - and its first episode left everybody weeping .
The Geordie duo were back on our screens following the show 's lengthy hiatus , while Ant McPartlin , one half of the presenting duo , battled his demons .
The pair returned on Saturday evening , though , and wasted no time in changing the lives of their audience members .
Viewers tuned in to see the heartbreaking story of Simon and Petra Williams , who run a charity to support grieving families - something they set up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three years ago .
Chronicle Live reports they had thought they were in London to record a documentary about charities when they were invited to join the audience for the first episode of the new Takeaway series .
Viewers watched the presenters bring Simon , 33 , and 31-year-old Petra , whose current home is rented , onto the stage .
And there they stunned them with news that they were being given a fully-furnished three-bedroom house by the housebuilder entirely for free - while a big screen brought them a live link @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
Dec told the pair : “ We know the family relies on your overtime , Simon , as a delivery driver to make ends meet and as a result you ’ ve never been able to go on loads of luxurious holidays or own your own home .
That is , until tonight.
” Ant added : “ You see , Petra and Simon , that brand new house - the house your kids are outside right now - that house now belongs to you .
And here are the keys.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ described the news as `` fantastic '' and Petra said : `` I ’ m very rarely speechless , but I am to be fair ! ''
Dec added on the show : `` Last summer we spoke to Bellway and they said that if you come up and help us build a home , we ’ ll let you give it away on your show - as long as you can find a family who really deserve it.
” Jason Honeyman , chief executive officer for Bellway , said : `` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to help a family who have done so much for others was something we were keen to embrace . ''
He added : `` Significant efforts were required to preserve the mystery until the broadcast and it was rewarding to see the family ’ s reactions to this life-changing prize .
`` We hope that being able to live mortgage-free will enable them to continue their valued work helping families at the time when they are most in need . ''
He said Ant and Dec helped the construction team to prepare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perfect '' for a young family and the video showed the pair as they had a go at bricklaying , plastering and plumbing as well as offering their take on its interior style - the work of Q Interiors , which took tips from Petra 's friend Nikki .
Q Interior 's co-drector Julie Watson , said : `` The design scheme includes sparkly lights and plenty of glitz for Petra , a dinosaur-themed bedroom for Bailey , princess beds and customised wardrobes for the girls , and even a personalised bed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Takeaway was first broadcast in June 2002 - and has gone on to become one of TV ’ s most popular variety shows .
Presented by Ant and Dec , ITV listed it in their picks for the best 50 shows in ITV 's 50 years being on air in 2005 .
It came second , beaten only by Coronation Street .

newsdesk@birminghamlive.co.uk (Barbara Hodgson, James Rodger)

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Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway is back on our screens - and its first episode left everybody weeping.
The Geordie duo were back on our screens following the show's lengthy hiatus, while Ant McPartlin, one half of the presenting duo, battled his demons.
The pair returned on Saturday evening, though, and wasted no time in changing the lives of their audience members.
Viewers tuned in to see the heartbreaking story of Simon and Petra Williams, who run a charity to support grieving families - something they set up after tragically losing their own little girl three years ago.
Chronicle Live reports they had thought they were in London to record a documentary about charities when they were invited to join the audience for the first episode of the new Takeaway series.
Viewers watched the presenters bring Simon, 33, and 31-year-old Petra, whose current home is rented, onto the stage.
And there they stunned them with news that they were being given a fully-furnished three-bedroom house by the housebuilder entirely for free - while a big screen brought them a live link to their children already at their new home.
Dec told the pair: “We know the family relies on your overtime, Simon, as a delivery driver to make ends meet and as a result you’ve never been able to go on loads of luxurious holidays or own your own home. That is, until tonight.”
Ant added: “You see, Petra and Simon, that brand new house - the house your kids are outside right now - that house now belongs to you. And here are the keys.”
The couple, clearly emotional, described the news as "fantastic" and Petra said: "I’m very rarely speechless, but I am to be fair!"
Dec added on the show: "Last summer we spoke to Bellway and they said that if you come up and help us build a home, we’ll let you give it away on your show - as long as you can find a family who really deserve it.”
Jason Honeyman, chief executive officer for Bellway, said: "The opportunity to work with Saturday Night Takeaway and to help a family who have done so much for others was something we were keen to embrace."
He added: "Significant efforts were required to preserve the mystery until the broadcast and it was rewarding to see the family’s reactions to this life-changing prize.
"We hope that being able to live mortgage-free will enable them to continue their valued work helping families at the time when they are most in need."
(Image: ITV)
He said Ant and Dec helped the construction team to prepare the new home which he called "perfect" for a young family and the video showed the pair as they had a go at bricklaying, plastering and plumbing as well as offering their take on its interior style - the work of Q Interiors, which took tips from Petra's friend Nikki .
Q Interior's co-drector Julie Watson, said: "The design scheme includes sparkly lights and plenty of glitz for Petra, a dinosaur-themed bedroom for Bailey, princess beds and customised wardrobes for the girls, and even a personalised bed for their dog, Coco.
(Image: ITV)
Saturday Night Takeaway was first broadcast in June 2002 - and has gone on to become one of TV’s most popular variety shows.
Presented by Ant and Dec, ITV listed it in their picks for the best 50 shows in ITV's 50 years being on air in 2005.
It came second, beaten only by Coronation Street.