This was one of City's better attempts at playing a 4-5-1 system. It hasn't always made City any stronger defensively in the past, but Birmingham had few clearcut goal-scoring opportunities yesterday.
City also did a better job of getting players forward to support the attack, and few balls were hit long for Big Jan to make a futile chase for. However, the players that got forward just aren't good enough in attacking situations. We saw Boateng fire across goal and Kilbane couldn't get on the end of it. Fagan missed good chances. Bullard's efforts were also poor. McShane failed to put in one decent cross from at least half a dozen good opportunities. Dawson and Kilbane contrived to not even attempt the cross as they dithered with the ball between them.
Birmingham upped their game a little in the second half while City were letting it slip away. Dowie seemed content with the draw, proven when he brought on Jozy Altidore with 15 minutes to go, not to partner Big Jan and supplement the goal threat, but to replace him.
A draw at Birmingham wouldn't normally be a bad result - 15 other teams haven't managed to do any better this season - but not in these circumstances. We are playing catch-up on our target for points in the run-in after defeats to Portsmouth and Burnley. Even if Wigan and West Ham lose today and tomorrow, City require a win against Aston Villa to be in touching distance of them with three games to go, and Villa have lost only four times on their travels this season.
It's not possible to rely on other results when we're effectively four points adrift; we need to make up the difference. Draws just aren't enough now. Only wins will propel City out of the bottom three, and yesterday was a chance of one we didn't take the initiative to aim for.
There's only one draw we might still want to see: West Ham against Wigan on Saturday. That is if it's not already over before then.