Harlee: Blunt truth is... we need a cutting edge!
DEFENDER Harlee Dean Blues must confront the phant in the room. A killer instinct has been lacking in the opening three games, with Blues unable to make the most of the chances they have hunted out.
Better finishing and Blues could haven been tackling Bolton on Wednesday night on almost the same points as their hosts, who are flying high at the top end of the Championship table.
Dean was guilty of misses himself in the frustrating goalless draw with Swansea last Friday.
So too Lukas Jutkiewicz who, on another night, might have left St Andrew’s with the match ball.
It’s an area Dean reckons Blues must address to avoid another season of struggle.
“That’s where we’ve got to be a bit says ele- more critical and a bit more hard on ourselves,” he said. “That will be the difference between being where we want to be and not being where we want to be.
“I had a header that if the pitch is a little bit wet it skips through and goes in rather than perching up for the goalkeeper. Dukey’s had a few, which we’ve got to take.”
Another relegation dogfight beckons if Garry Monk’s men continue to pass up chances like they did against the Swans.
“We were on the front foot from the beginning,” Dean added. “We put pressure on them all over the park and they didn’t know how to deal with it. The feeling in the dressing room was a funny one. We were pleased with how we played, but disappointed we didn’t get the win. We’ve got to win games like that, especially when we put so much pressure on and have so much dominance, especially in the first half. “We showed exactly what the manager wanted. He put the plan in place and we did it to almost perfection, minus the goal. “You always know it’s going to change. They’re going to change something second half. The impetus will change and our dominance will ease off a bit, but it didn’t really change too much. “I don’t re- member them having a chance and we kept on having chances. There were a lot of positives to take, but still stuff to work on.”
Transfer target Josh Dasilva has completed a move to Brentford after his contract at Arsenal expired.
The 19-year-old midfielder was among the players Garry Monk hoped to bring to St Andrew’s this summer but the Blues manager has missed out to Dean Smith’s Bees.
After allowing Cheikh Ndoye to return to French club Angers on a season-long loan, Monk is still hoping to add a midfielder to his ranks before the deadline on August 31.
He is permitted to sign one more player on a low-cost loan deal or free transfer this month.
Monk’s hands were tied earlier this summer with Blues placed under a transfer embargo.