Karanka in vow to make the right moves at Blues
AITOR Karanka insists Birmingham City will take their time to find the right players to bring to the club.
Blues have added six new faces to Karanka’s squad, with two announced on Friday alone, and midfielder Adam Clayton arriving on Tuesday night.
George Friend was the first in, followed by Jon Toral, Ivan Sanchez, Jonathan Leko and Andres Prieto – with the former and the latter both on duty for Saturday’s 1-0 pre-season defeat at Tottenham on Saturday.
Karanka knows Friend from their time together at Middlesbrough, while his relationship with Prieto, the goalkeeper signed on a free transfer from Espanyol, is even more long-standing.
Prieto made a positive impression at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with his recruitment typical of the way Karanka wants Blues to go about their business.
With just under two weeks to go until kick-off, holes remain in his squad but the 46-year-old is playing it cool.
“We have done Andres’ signing the same way we are doing everything – calm,” the head coach said.
“We are not in a hurry, we know we are building a project so we are not going to bring players here in a rush, thinking that this is going to be the last day.
“I am really pleased with everything the club is doing, we just need to keep on.”
Like Prieto, Friend had a solid game against Jose Mourinho’s men – and Karanka welcomed his addition. “He has a big advantage because he was working with me for three or four years,” he continued. “I said at the beginning that George is an amazing player – amazing – and with Andres we are bringing good players, experienced players and especially good people.”
Mourinho admitted his players struggled to find a way through Blues and was full of praise for the resilient visitors, who pushed Spurs all the way.
Steven Bergwijn’s goal just 30 seconds from the final whistle inflicted a cruel defeat on Blues but Karanka will have been pleased with what he saw. And they were given a resounding endorsement from Mourinho, whose association with Karanka goes back to 2010 when the Spaniard was his assistant at Real Madrid.
“It was tough. Karanka is very good,’’ he said. “His team is very well organised defensively, compact, lots of pressing.”
And on Tuesday, Blues completed their pre-season programme with a comfortable 3-0 victory over an experimental Walsall XI – as midfielder Adam Clayton became their sixth signing of the window.
Goals from Agus Medina, Amari Miller and Odin Bailey ensured they go into Saturday’s Carabao Cup clash against Cambridge at St Andrew’s with a spring in their step.
Blues fielded a much-changed side from the one who lost 1-0 at Tottenham, with a first game since his return for Toral.
The Spanish playmaker spent a successful loan spell at St Andrew’s before joining Hull City. He passed a quiet match, showing both some of his obvious quality and his rust before going off with a quarter remaining.
Karanka’s men had the better of the opening period, without creating too many chances.
Bailey dragged a low shot wide in the tenth minute and Jayden Reid demonstrated good pace and strength to break free on the quarter-hour, only to lift his curling attempt far too high.
Just as the half looked like ending goalless, Blues won a free-kick 25 yards from goal. Toral and Medina stood over the ball and it was the latter who smashed a drive past the goalkeeper.
Blues doubled their lead eight minutes after the restart. Bailey popped up in the inside-right channel and lifted a pass to the unmarked Miller. The 17-year-old killed the ball with his first touch and swept it past the goalkeeper.
The hosts might have gone even further ahead when Miller turned provider with seven minutes to go as he picked out Charlie Lakin in the middle but the midfielder side-footed wide. Lakin was pinpoint with his 86th-minute cross from the left, though, pulling back for the promising Bailey to make it 3-0.