Hendrie: Boss laying foundations for success
LEE Hendrie has hailed John Eustace’s work at Birmingham City after the head coach masterminded a fifth victory in ten games and guided Blues into the top half of the table.
Blues stood 12th after three months of the campaign ahead of their match against Millwall on Wednesday night.
They did so with the joint best defensive record in the league and with an increasingly inventive team built around a solid back three, ingenuity in midfield and experience up front.
And Hendrie, who played more than 250 games for Blues’ cross-city rivals Villa, likes what he sees from Eustace’s early days – not just in terms of repairing the team but the whole club.
“He used to kick lumps out of me when I was a kid,” the former midfielder said.
“He is a local lad, it means a lot to him, he is just laying down foundations, stopping things they weren’t doing well last season and bringing good players to the club.
“He knows what this club is all about, he knows the potential that lies behind it so it’s great to see he has come in with that enthusiasm and that belief and is trying to pass that through to the whole community.”
Hendrie has also been impressed with the performances of Auston Trusty, who scored an impudent goal against QPR and who has done superbly, playing every minute of Blues’ season on loan from Arsenal.
Trusty and John Ruddy are the two constant components of a defence that has kept six clean sheets so far this season.
“He has been a brilliant addition he really has,” Hendrie said.
“Birmingham conceded so many goals last season, for me the partnership of Trusty, [Dion] Sanderson and [Harlee] Dean they’ve really been difficult to break down, one of the best defences in the league and a lot of it goes down to Trusty.
“There’s a World Cup round the corner and he has got a big point to prove and he certainly should be amongst the USA squad.”