Monk’s man to take club on, insists departed Lowe
JASON Lowe believes Garry Monk is the man to take Blues forward, despite being released at the end of last season.
The 26-year-old signed for Bolton at the weekend, a move which will see him return to St Andrew’s at some stage next term.
He will do so having had a rollercoaster year as a Blues player, in which he worked under three managers, injured his hamstring and played only 11 matches.
But he insists he wishes the club nothing but goodwill and likes the look of what he saw working under Monk.
“Garry put his ideas on how he wants the team to play and kept things very simple,” said Lowe.
“It was effective and worked for us. The club is in good hands to progress with his and his staff ’s leadership.
“When I look back, it was hard to be on the sidelines a lot and not get the games to try to help the team.
“The fans were fantastic all year, 5,000 away to Bolton on a Tuesday night when we were down at the bottom fighting, they were there with us, credit to them and they were great with me, for that I thank them.
“Special mention to all the people behind the scenes at the training ground who work tirelessly for all the lads, they keep the place ticking without much recognition.
“It was a pleasure to wear the shirt. I wish everyone at Blues ues the best for the future.”
However, for all the positive outcome, last season was one of dissappointment for r Blues.
Signed late by Harry Redknapp, under-used by Steve Cotterill and played twice by Monk, Lowe admits the huge influx of players in the summer was naturally y unsettling.
“It’s hard to put your finger on one specific c thing as to why we struggled ggled for long periods,” he said. d
“Everyone was trying their out and sometimes in football doesn’t click to get the results.
“Different managers have their own styles and as players you do your best to adapt to what they want from you to help the team.
“It is unsettling changing but it happens in football when results aren’t going well, the manager usually gets it but it’s a collective responsibility. When you have a lot of new players in the building it takes a little time to gel and understand each other, not just on the pitch but off it.
“It comes down to relationships on the field and putting together a unit that can bring out everyone’s qualities to help the team win.
“In the end we got there, they’re a good bunch of lads whose company I hearts it just enjoyed on daily basis.” Meanwhi l e, d defender Cheic ick Keita is at attracting interest from clubs in Italy and Spain. The 22-year-old 2 has not play played for Blues since i last l A August and spent last season on loan in Italy with Bologna. And he could be set to move on again with unnamed clubs understood to be keen. It is not clear whether Bologna are one of the interested parties, though they signed Ajax left-back Mitchell Dijks last month. A nagging injury meant Keita had to wait to break into the Bologna side and it wasn’t until April that he made his Serie A debut. Just a few months after joining from Virtus Entella for around £2million in January 2017, last summer he was deemed surplus to requirements by Harry Redknapp. He was brought to Blues by Gianfranco Zola and caught the eye with some lavish skills. a
But concerns about his defensive aptitude, and the fact he returned to pre-season with a groin problem, meant Zola’s successor looked elsewhere.
The French youngster was sent to Bologna while Redknapp brought Cohen Bramall.
Jonathan Grounds and Maxime Colin shared left-back duties last term but Grounds has since been told he is free to leave.
To that end Blues are hoping to tie up a £2.2million deal for Union Berlin’s Kristian Pedersen.
Meanwhile, the club have confirmed this year’s summer training camp will be spent in the Austrian Tyrol.
Monk’s men friendlies, the against German SSV Ulm.
Blues leave for Bad Häring on Friday, July 6, the second successive year they have gone to Austria.
On Thursday, July 12, they play Russian Premier League side Akhmat Grozny at Area Worgl in Walchsee, in a 6pm kick-off. Then, they cross the border into Germany to play Ulm at Munich’s Sportpark Heimstetten on Saturday, July 14, in a 2pm kick-off.
It will be the second time Blues undergo pre-season in Bad Häring: in 2012 Lee Clark’s squad prepared at the small town which is famed for health tourism and wellness. in will also play two second in Munich third division outfit