2008–09 Birmingham City F.C. season
[3] McLeish appointed former Celtic head physiotherapist Tim Williamson, Norwich City physio Peter Shaw, and British Olympic Association sports scientist Ben Rosenblatt to his backroom staff.Phillips had scored 24 goals for West Bromwich Albion the previous season, helping his club to promotion to the Premier League, but turned down their offer of a one-year deal in favour of a two-year contract in the Championship.[14][15] Attempts to sign Celtic defender Bobo Baldé fell through because of the player's wage demands,[16] and after Derby County midfielder Stephen Pearson's medical revealed a groin problem, he refused Birmingham's offer of a loan deal instead.[19] O'Connor, McSheffrey and Mehdi Nafti scored as a Birmingham team including trialists Zola Matumona and Yamoudou Camara beat Czech side Viktoria Plzeň 3–1 in the second tour match.The home side took the lead just before the interval after defensive midfielder Nafti had gone off with a torn hamstring,[27] but O'Connor equalised soon after the break, then, within a minute of coming off the bench, Phillips was first to react to Bent's header rebounding from the crossbar.Larsson took the lead against the run of play – centre-half Martin Taylor was the pick of Birmingham's players in the first half – but Darel Russell equalised just after half-time, and both McSheffrey and Phillips missed late chances to steal all three points.[32] In stoppage time of a first half described in the Sunday People as "marginally more exciting than root-canal dental treatment", at home to Queens Park Rangers, Phillips tapped in an O'Connor cutback for a win that took Birmingham top of the table.Martin Taylor replaced Jaïdi at centre-back because of a thigh injury sustained on international duty, and Murphy injured a knee during the match, while both Damien Johnson and Kelly returned to training,[35] and Quashie joined on loan for a month.O'Connor was injured in the warm-up, and Stuart Parnaby went off after 10 minutes of the match against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, giving teenage right-back Jared Wilson what would be his only competitive first-team appearance for Birmingham.[38] Mikele Leigertwood was sent off in the first half, but despite the numerical disadvantage, Samuel Di Carmine's 25-yard (23 m) shot in the 54th minute decided the match in QPR's favour – Birmingham's first away defeat in the league – after Phillips' stoppage-time "equaliser" was disallowed for offside.[1] In an end-to-end match at league leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers in foggy conditions, McFadden had a goal disallowed for offside, the ball deflected off Ridgewell's shoulder against the post with Taylor beaten, Bent's lob was cleared off the line, and the left-footed midfielder Mehdi Nafti replaced the injured Hunt at right back, all before half-time.[1] Lee Carsley's first goal for the club secured a win under Plymouth Argyle's dim floodlights,[42] before an attacking game at Preston North End remained goalless until stoppage time, when Ridgewell failed to deal with a cross and Jon Parkin shot home.[1] Apart from "a moment of individual brilliance" as Phillips "nipped in to steal the loose ball and after nutmegging Ivar Ingimarsson advanced unchallenged to the edge of the area and lashed in a stinging low drive",[43] Reading were in complete control as they replaced Birmingham in second place in the table with a 3–1 win at St Andrew's.