At the start of the season, I posted an evaluation of the squad that now seems massively out of date, with so many changes to the squad, so I thought I'd update it. I am an optimistic Blues fan and that will probably shine through!
Goalkeepers:
Randolph: Darren Randolph has proved himself to be a fantastic goalkeeper at this level. He has kept us in games numerous times with some terrific saves; he has probably won us quite a few points on his own. He has made the odd error but that is to be expected. His main fault is he is not the best at coming out for crosses, partially due to his height - he is not the tallest keeper in the world. All in all though, we cannot complain. A terrific signing from Clark.
Doyle: Been ok in the cup games he's played in, but nothing spectacular. Was very poor in the Stoke game in the cup, but that was a bizarre game from start to finish. A decent enough back-up keeper and his loyalty cannot be questioned.
Defenders:
Caddis: Caddis hasn't quite hit the heights that he reached in his first spell here, but it still a reliable choice and importantly an incredibly fit one, as we are not blessed with loads of cover. Caddis plays nearly every game and must be applauded for that, as he up and down the wing a lot. His link-up with Burke is generally very good, though teams have realised that he is our main threat and taken steps to cut his supply. Caddis can be suspect defensively as well. Numerous times this season he has been caught out. He is very useful going forward and has added a few goals to his game this season, even if they are usually penalties. A very handy player and a good signing from Clark.
Spector: I'm unsure as to why he was given a new contract, as Spector has spent most of his time in the physio room. We all knew he had massive injury problems and it's not like he's a key member of the team when he plays. He's a handy player to have in that he can play in so many roles, but he's so rarely fit that it's not worth it. He's as much an inconvenience as he is a convenience.
Packwood: Packwood has recovered well from that horrific injury from last year and blossomed into a decent centre-half at this level. After a successful loan spell at Bristol Rovers, Packwood was recalled as cover and injuries and loan recalls meant he got his chance. He grabbed it with two hands, playing superbly against Swansea and has stayed in the team since, now trying to form a partnership with Aaron Martin. The only issue he may have is he is very slender despite his height, so may benefit from some time on the weights, or else he may be bullied by the stronger strikers in the league.
Martin: Martin was released by Southampton in order to try and find a club after he lost his place after a serious injury. Blues snapped up the 24-year-old defender shortly after and he was thrown in just 14 minutes into the game against Derby. He reminds me of Roger Johnson in his style of play and build, who hopefully will be as successful at Blues. He has had a solid start to his Blues career and hopefully will continue to play well. His partnership with Packwood appears to have potential and will need to come good for Blues to stay mid-table.
Thorpe: It's obviously very difficult to judge Thorpe due to his lack of gametime, but I wish him all the best with his recovery and maybe we shall see him in a Blues shirt again.
Robinson: Robinson has been a terrific servant to the club and been a great captain. At centre-back he remains an important player, but has recently been moved back out to left-back where he played before he joined Blues. Here he has struggled, his pace becomes more of an issue and he is supposed to go forward but doesn't have the guile of most full-backs - coupled with our pack of genuine left wingers, this leaves us with a lack of width and balance. This mustn't detract from his consistent performance at centre-back, as he has played well there, but it is an issue whilst Hancox is out.
Hancox: Mitch has shown himself to be a more than adequate replacement for the injury prone Murphy, with some terrific performances. Being a Blues fan, Hancox will never give less than 100% for the club and is completely fearless. He has endeared himself to the fans through his determination, tough tackling and quality on the ball. He gets fantastic whip on his crosses and is arguably the best crosser of the ball in the Blues squad. Unfortunately he is injured at the moment and we have clearly missed his dynamism down the left.
Murphy: Whilst he's injured, it must be said that he is an important player when he plays. In fact, I found it surprising that the last time we won at home, he not only started but scored twice, which shows just how important he is. We haven't won at home since he's been injured. Though I sing Hancox's praises, he hasn't had quite the same effect.
Blackett: A poor debut that clearly affected his confidence against Derby, giving away a penalty which was then saved by Randolph. It was a shame as he looked so confident in the opening stages and then made an error. Hopefully he can forget his debut and move on, but I think it's unlikely that we will see that.
Midfielders:
Burke: Burke is still clearly our main threat going forward. Unfortunately, every other team has figured this out as I mentioned early, so our lack of balance due to the weaker left-side is exposed and we try and force the play through Burke, who is often marked very tightly. This is possibly why we struggle so much at home, where we are forced to attack. We have to try and force the play and we don't have much creation other than Burke. Away from home, he can find room on the counter attack. He is still at the centre of most of the good things we do going forward.
Adeyemi: Blues really struggle to win without Adeyemi. He got injured a few months ago and we really struggled. Unfortunately his return hasn't coincided with us winning every game, but he has a lot of ability and he can be the difference between staying up and going down - he's that important to us. He goes down as Lee Clark's best signing in my books, an absolutely terrific free transfer. Adeyemi has become our Yaya Toure, although admittedly a budget version.
Huws: It's disappointing to know that Emyr was so close to being a Blues player, before Man City snapped him up before he signed for us. He has a big future ahead of him if he can keep up this level of performance. He is similar to Callum Reilly in terms of style and even demeanour, but it's clear that Huws is a better footballer. Not to take away from Reilly, whose energy is a huge asset, but Huws' distribution is very good and his delivery from set-pieces is great as well. Him and Adeyemi can become a pivotal duo in the centre of midfield, combining Adeyemi's mobility and strength with Huws' technical ability. Maybe I'm looking through Blues-tinted glasses, but that has potential to be one of the best midfield partnerships in the league.
Reilly: Callum Reilly is the best tackler we have in defensive midfield and has a lot of pace and energy. Sometimes we need his determination and strength, but Clark seems reluctant to play him, possibly due to his poorer distribution. However, I'd rather someone who throws themself into tackles sometimes, especially when we are struggling to get a grip on a game. I don't think Reilly should be first choice, but I think he deserves more game time and I think he'll show his worth defensively.
Lee: Not quite Rob Lee, but Olly Lee is a decent enough midfielder. He definitely has ability and can pass the ball and has shown that he can score the odd goal as well. My main issue with him is his complete lack of mobility. Being slow is okay if you're Andrea Pirlo and/or have fantastic ball winning midfielders around you. Unfortunately Olly Lee is not Pirlo. He's a decent player but I don't think he's a better option than Reilly, Huws or Adeyemi, but Clark seems to favour Lee.
Howard: A strange signing from Clark, when we needed a forward and some defenders he signed an attacking midfielder. Howard is a decent player who has some creative ability and can grab a goal, which is incredibly useful, but it's hard to judge him as he has not played too much yet. We have so many midfielders that it means that Howard will likely only be a bit-part player, but he's fantastic back-up to have.
Rusnak: Since Lingard's departure to sit in Man United's reserves (surely he's better than Ashley Young?), Blues have struggled to score goals and create no matter who has played in his role. Rusnak has come in to try and fulfill that role, but he is yet to get on the scoresheet. He is a tidy player with a few tricks up his sleeve, but he hasn't had any tangible effect on the team in terms of goals or assists, but he is a useful, versatile and skillful player.
Ferguson: Ferguson is our only natural left-sided midfielder, yet he is nearly always overlooked. He's not brilliant but he at least offers us some balance. He can cross the ball well and offers a lot defensively also. He doesn't go past full backs with ease, which can be an issue, but neither does Novak. I realise that we can only have 5 loan players in the match-day squad, but I think that he deserves a place. Clark has tried so many people out wide - Rusnak,, Novak, Shinnie and Brown - and none have worked all that well. Maybe giving a natural left winger a run in the team will give us balance, helping Robinson/Hancox and also Chris Burke play better, as having an inverted winger gives us so little width, forces us to attack through Burke and makes the midfield so clustered.
Brown: Reece Brown is one of the most exciting prospects to come out of Blues' academy in a while. Brown is more exciting than Redmond was, as he was even younger when he broke into the first team. Some incredibly mature performances have impressed everyone who's seen him, including scouts from the big teams, reportedly. Fortunately, he has signed a contract with Blues, which means he can't be signed for peanuts. Clearly, due to the financial issues at the club, it is not unlikely that we will be forced to sell him, but everyone involved with the club will be hopeful that we can keep hold of him.
Gray: Gray has struggled to break into the team and has not set the world alight when he's had a chance, though I'm sure his chance will come where he gets a real chance to show what he can do. He has a lot of pace and is a natural winger, so he may get a chance, but due to the abundance of midfielders he may find chances few and far between. He is incredibly quick which might be useful as we have such a one paced team, but we shall see if he gets and takes his chance.
Shinnie: Shinnie hasn't quite had the effect we all wished he would have on English football. He has struggled to influence games and has gone missing at times. He does not have the pace or dribbling ability to go past players, so has to rely on his guile and passing. Hopefully, he has just struggled to adapt and will show his true ability next year. He has added a few goals to our total however, so has not been a poor signing as such, but he has not been as impressive as we hoped.
Forwards:
Novak: I must confess, I slated Novak at the start of the season. I was not the only one, but I felt that he was a waste of a shirt. Since then, I have changed my opinion and will admit that I was wrong. He has been a very useful player due to his determination and versatility. He is an intelligent player who may not have the technical ability of some of the best players in the league or blistering pace, but he is important to us.
Zigic: Oh, Zigic. The enigmatic, divisive giant. I personally love the big man and our results with him in the team are far better, so statistically he is a good player for us. But it's clear that he divides fans and Clark may not share my admiration of Zigic. He does have those games where nothing goes right, but I feel that if you forget his wages he is a great asset for the team. Leaving him out of the squad, for me, is a stupid decision, as he is certainly a good option off the bench.
Lovenkrands: Lovenkrands adds a couple of goals to the team, which is always a nice thing to have. He is incredibly lightweight and lacks the pace that characterised him as a player years ago, but he is deadly in the box. We can't really afford to carry him during games so is more of an option off the bench, as he doesn't give us much of an outlet, but he's useful to have as an option.
Macheda: Macheda has had a bigger impact than I expected. Obviously, he's a decent player, but he has struggled to be prolific elsewhere. 3 goals in his first 1 and a bit games was incredibly impressive. He hasn't scored since but his link-up play is a step above any other striker at the club. He could be very important for us, even if he doesn't score again he helps us keep the ball and brings others into play, but I think he will score a few more. Clark has shown that he can get the best out of young players who may have not shown their ability elsewhere.
Arthur: Nobody seems entirely sure what has happened to him. Koby Arthur had a great preseason, was praised by Clark, looked dangerous at the start of the season and then slowly disappeared. Even when we were struggling for strikers he couldn't even make the bench. He has consistently impressed in the development squad, so it seems strange that he doesn't even get a chance in the first team. Maybe he will get another chance - we shall see.
