Chris Davies adapts after left-back signing falls through at Birmingham City

4 months ago

Birmingham City’s transfer activity was extensive, with 12 new arrivals giving Chris Davies greater depth and flexibility. Yet, despite the comprehensive business, the manager didn’t quite secure everything he had hoped for.

One priority that slipped through the net was cover at left-back. Davies had made clear his desire to bring in another option behind Alex Cochrane, but a deal never came to fruition.

Transcript

00:00Birmingham City's transfer activity was extensive with 12 new arrivals giving Chris Davis greater

00:07depth and flexibility. Yet despite the comprehensive business, the manager didn't quite secure

00:13everything he had hoped for. One priority that slipped through the net was cover at left-back.

00:20Davis had made clear his desire to bring in another option behind Alex Cochran,

00:25but a deal never came to fruition. Fortunately for Blues, Cochran has returned to fitness and is

00:32expected to slot back into the starting 11 at Stoke City after the international break.

00:38The 25-year-old knows exactly how Davis wants his full-backs to operate and any signing would only

00:44have been used in a supporting role. In the meantime, Davis has found workable solutions.

00:51Ethan Laird has filled in admirably during the last three league games, showing he can handle the

00:56demands of the position. Samstead is more likely to feature in training drills or 11 v 11 shaped

01:03sessions rather than competitive fixtures, especially with no cup matches scheduled before January.

01:10Another potential option emerged late in the transfer window in Jack Robinson.

01:15The 32-year-old began his career at left-back before transitioning into a centre-half, makes him a natural

01:21fit for Davis' system. Robinson himself has stressed his versatility, noting his comfort across the entire

01:28back line. There is also Aaron Cashin, another left-footed defender. While Davis has admitted that using the

01:36Republic of Ireland international at full-back would only be considered as a last resort, his presence at

01:42least provides an extra layer of insurance should injuries take place.

01:48If Lee Buchanan's recovery continues to stretch on toward January, when the club can reassess the market,

01:54Birmingham still possess a variety of options to cover Cochran.

01:58Davis may not have landed the extra reinforcement he wanted, but with Cochran fit again, adaptable players in the squad

02:05and tactical flexibility at his disposal, the manager has enough to manage the left side effectively until the new year.

Chris Davies adapts after left-back signing falls through at Birmingham City

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