Top of the table

Four games in, and Blues sit joint top with Cardiff at the top of the Championship. We came from behind - the first time since April 2005 when we beat Blackburn 2-1 (the same day as my very good friend Cav's stag do).

However, the signs aren't good for manager Steve Bruce. It appears the vast majority - willing to keep him on despite relegation - have now decided we're back to year zero. It appears Bruce is now judged on the performances in the here and now, not on his past reputation. Blues played their best game of the season yesterday, but it appears our fans are looking for more than just getting by. It's conceivable Bruce could get Blues promoted playing the same old negative stuff (two defensive midfielders), but what then? Perhaps the fans now see that it's not just enough to go back up - we need to show signs of improvement that mean we actually compete should we actually manage to defy the odds and bounce back at the first time of asking.

Bruce didn't start well: he paired Damien Johnson and Mehdi Nafti, two defensive midfielders, and let the likes of Danns and Larsson on the bench. When I say defensive, I mean defensive. Nafti at least can pick a good pass forward (he made our equalising goal yesterday, and also put in Jaidi for a fierce drive that was well saved), but Damien Johnson gets by on 100 per cent effort alone. DJ is a bugbear of mine - all he can do is try and break up opponents' play. He seems reluctant to pass the ball forward, and has an appalling disciplinary record.

A player like DJ is vital in anyone's squad - he can cover a number of positions - but he's known as Bruce's "love child", because rain or shine his name is in the starting eleven. He won Player of the Season last year, but not because he raised his game - it was because everyone else was so poor. Bruce has gone to great lengths to accomodate him in the team - he's played all over the park - and nowhere was this more evident than on a dank and dark Saturday evening in October 2004. Blues were down to ten men and losing 1-0 at home to Everton, but we were making a game of it. Time to throw caution to the wind - but in making three substitutions, Bruce moved DJ around the pitch to three different positions rather than take him off. He even took off our biggest threat - at which point our forays down the right wing ended as DJ slotted into position.

Despite bringing in players like Neil Danns, Stefan Larsson, Fabrice Muamba and Gary McSheffrey, Bruce signalled his intentions by making DJ captain. This is a man who gets on with his job as quietly as possible (ironic, considering the hot temper he undoubtedly has) - hardly captain material.

Nafti had a good game by all accounts. With the score locked at 1-1, Bruce takes Nafti off to bring on Stefan Larsson. The crowd - clearly no longer willing to tolerate Bruce - were unhappy at this. Once again it appeared the better player had given way so his favourite could stay on the pitch (the truth is that Nafti may have had a slight knock). 10 minutes later and we take off our goalscorer and put on a midfielder in his place. The crowd are now incensed - we're going for the win aren't we? But it appears not, because we've now only got one striker on the pitch. Eight minutes later Bruce finally rectifies his mistake and brings on Forssell for - gasp - Damien Johnson.

A chorus of ironic cheers go up - which DJ takes personally. He throws his captain's armband to the floor in disgust and trots over to the dugout, and then takes off his shirt and walks towards the player's tunnel (so much for staying and watching your team try to win the game). Just before he reaches it he throws his shirt on the pitch in disgust, which results in sections of the crowd going beserk.

Many say he should never play for the club again - but Bruce has already tried to play down the situation (blaming the crowd in part - which may be fair enough, but hardly likely to endear yourself to them), so I'd be surprised if he gets anything more than a fine. This feels like a defining moment for Bruce - if he dropped his obsession with picking DJ week in, week out, I think we could challenge strongly for top spot, but he persists with him then I reckon their fates will be linked. Alan Curbishley is waiting in the wings and if results dip (if Blues hadn't scored an injury time winner yesterday I suspect Bruce could be under real pressure this morning - that's how far the fanbase have turned) then I can't see Bruce surviving that long.