Karanka’s done his homework but coach still looking for answers
BIRMINGHAM City have two more days to put the finishing touches to a squad that has been transformed in the last two months.
Since Aitor Karanka was appointed at the end of July, Blues have added ten players, acquired mainly from domestic sources but smattered with the dip into the Spanish market that has become de rigueur in the last few summers.
Karanka has been saying for the last few weeks he is happy with his options, telling reporters after the Stoke draw: “I think we are in a good position, I said last week we have done our homework so we are happy with the players we have now, we have another two weeks for domestic transfers, so we are calm.”
The noises coming out of Blues are they are still open for business – and there are undoubtedly relatively small holes in certain areas.
The club will also work to move on those who have not been involved in the first few matches, which could see well-known faces like David Davis and Maikel Kieftenbeld leave if new clubs can be found in what is a buyer’s market.
Then there’s the youngsters whose immediate futures would be best served by playing senior, rather than development, football.
Here is how the squad is looking ahead of Friday’s 5pm deadline.
Neil Etheridge and Andres Prieto have both arrived in the summer, while 19-year-old home-grown stopper Zach Jeacock has been promoted into the senior squad.
Etheridge is undisputed No.1 and has an excellent reputation after his time with Cardiff. In his three outings so far he has looked commanding and assured – and has been extremely well protected.
Prieto spent
his recent years as back-up at Espanyol and looks destined for the same role at Blues – assuming Jeacock doesn’t overtake him.
The England Under-19 kept a clean sheet on his senior debut and is a real prospect. The hope is he doesn’t get caught in that awkward vacuum of being needed at first-team level but not played.
Blues look reasonably well stocked at centre-half, with Harlee Dean playing the best football of his three years at the club and George Friend appearing an absolute steal of a free signing. Karanka’s system means the centrehalves are well protected but Dean and Friend have kept up their ends of the bargain too.
Marc Roberts is next defender off the rank and played for the first time as Blues unsuccessfully tried to close out their 1-0 lead at the bet365 Stadium.
Behind him Geraldo Bajrami is a player who is caught in that twilight zone of being too good for Under-23s football but not yet established in the Championship. A loan move to League One might prove beneficial for all parties. Mikel San Jose is also viewed as an option at centre-half, despite saying he wants to play centre mid.
It’s at full-back where Blues look most light, with Kristian Pedersen backed up by Friend and Maxime Colin by Josh DacresCogley. Karanka does not seem too concerned by the situation, which sees left-back options Ryan Burke and Steve Seddon out on loan.
The one area where Blues have a surfeit of options. Adam Clayton has immediately slotted in after joining on a free from Middlesbrough.
The 31-year-old is Karanka’s first point of contact during matches and has impressed with his anticipation and desire to play forward.
He has done that alongside Ivan Sunjic, who has enjoyed a Dean-like renaissance and been excellent in the last couple of matches, breaking up play and covering team-mates.
All of which has left the unfortunate Gary Gardner having to make the most of his opportunities off the bench – not that Karanka has any intention of cashing in on him, laughing off rumours of Bournemouth’s interest.
San Jose has come from a decade in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao and is yet to play for Blues. His CV is impressive but we are yet to see if he can do what it says he can in the hurly-burly of the Championship.
Caolan Boyd-Munce has been involved in the match-day squad on a couple of occasions, while Davis and Kieftenbeld have not.
Scott Hogan returned to the club in the summer but not necessarily to reprise his partnership with Lukas Jutkiewicz.
The pair had one crack at that against Rotherham but the balance in midfield wasn’t rigid.
So, more often than not it could be a case of either/or in a 4-2-3-1, with Karanka refusing to discount Jonathan Leko’s potential impact.
Asked whether the creative shortcomings at Stoke last time out necessitated another dip into the transfer market, Karanka name-checked Leko and suggested he will be a big help. Many would like to see another striker arrive but that should be set against the probability Karanka will play one up front and that the window is open again in two-and-a-half months.
That said, if a free-scoring youngster wants to put his hand up, either from within the academy, at lower-league level or on loan from a Premier League club, we’d all like to hear from him.
It will be interesting to see what the next few days hold for Odin Bailey and Adan George.
As for the No.10 and wing positions, Blues look to have unearthed a gem in Ivan Sanchez, while we know current top scorer, Jeremie Bela, can be effective when he is consistent.
Then it’s a case of Jon Toral, Dan Crowley and the wildcard that is Riley McGree, who has come from Adelaide United in the A League, with plenty to prove.
Toral has had by far more opportunities so far, though Crowley’s claims will surely become difficult to ignore judging by his link-up play with Sanchez.
The key to these positions is interchangeability with Crowley and Sanchez, and presumably McGree, able to play anywhere across the attacking three.
Leko would also be a welcome returnee on the right wing but it is tempting to think the wide areas, both in attack and defence, could bear reinforcement.
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