SHA Small Heath Alliance

That interchange between Solis, Cochrane and Vicente by the touchline in the first half, was pure footballing filth. Anyone pretending we've had umpteen players who could do that is kidding themselves. Congratulations to the ref, who I thought was mostly ok, for ruining it by letting the Southampton player go straight through the back of Priske without even coming close to touching the ball.

I think Lund will be ideally suited in tough away games where we want to keep it very tight playing as a wing back in front of Cochrane and using his pace offensively and double teaming defensively with Cochrane when we're under the cosh.

Fasy and tricky wingers hate wing backs snapping in to tackles before they have space to run at a prone full back.

The fact we have not missed Wagner quite as much as we thought is the biggest praise you can give Cochrane

Grainger was a great signing and never let us down......

But IMO Mark Dennis was 5 levels above quality wise....a left foot to die for

Grainger was a great signing and never let us down......

But IMO Mark Dennis was 5 levels above quality wise....a left foot to die for

i think he was being sarcastic

Trevor Aylotts Headband

Grainger was a great signing and never let us down......

But IMO Mark Dennis was 5 levels above quality wise....a left foot to die for

I agree with you, I was just being sarcy.

Grainger was decent for what he was, but him being voted anywhere near Blues best ever left-back was a crime against...well, just about everything.

Saying Dennis was five levels better is a bit kind, to Grainger.

Trevor Aylotts Headband

Grainger was a great signing and never let us down......

But IMO Mark Dennis was 5 levels above quality wise....a left foot to die for

I agree with you, I was just being sarcy.

Grainger was decent for what he was, but him being voted anywhere near Blues best ever left-back was a crime against...well, just about everything.

Saying Dennis was five levels better is a bit kind, to Grainger.

Talking English Left Backs in my lifetime :
Ashley Cole, was better than Mark Dennis .....
Stuart Pearce was better than Mark Dennis .....

... and that's it

ridiculously gifted and talented .............. and obviously completely flawed

Rags

Trevor Aylotts Headband

Grainger was a great signing and never let us down......

But IMO Mark Dennis was 5 levels above quality wise....a left foot to die for

I agree with you, I was just being sarcy.

Grainger was decent for what he was, but him being voted anywhere near Blues best ever left-back was a crime against...well, just about everything.

Saying Dennis was five levels better is a bit kind, to Grainger.

Talking English Left Backs in my lifetime :
Ashley Cole, was better than Mark Dennis .....
Stuart Pearce was better than Mark Dennis .....

... and that's it

ridiculously gifted and talented .............. and obviously completely flawed

Kevin Beattie was probably better as well, but that's a bit subjective - because Beattie played anywhere and everywhere, not just at left-back.

I'd argue between Dennis and Pearce as well actually - no argument about Ashley Cole though. He was an actual and very rare World Class England player.

Rags

Trevor Aylotts Headband

Grainger was a great signing and never let us down......

But IMO Mark Dennis was 5 levels above quality wise....a left foot to die for

I agree with you, I was just being sarcy.

Grainger was decent for what he was, but him being voted anywhere near Blues best ever left-back was a crime against...well, just about everything.

Saying Dennis was five levels better is a bit kind, to Grainger.

Talking English Left Backs in my lifetime :
Ashley Cole, was better than Mark Dennis .....
Stuart Pearce was better than Mark Dennis .....

... and that's it

ridiculously gifted and talented .............. and obviously completely flawed

Kevin Beattie was probably better as well, but that's a bit subjective - because Beattie played anywhere and everywhere, not just at left-back.

I'd argue between Dennis and Pearce as well actually - no argument about Ashley Cole though. He was an actual and very rare World Class England player.

Yeah, i always think of Beattie as a midfielder ... Beattie was a better all round player, and definitely better in the air (didn't he quite often play as a centre-half too ?) undoubtedly, but if you were to restrict him just to left back, Dennis easily

One quality of Blues' left backs is their passing, we build down that side a lot and the more progressive of the pivot midfielders is on that side, so we need a good passer. It's why IMO it took us so long to sign one before Wagner.

Cochrane is a very underrated progressive passer. Biggest weakness IMO is he's susceptible from crosses. doesn't defend his back post well

One quality of Blues' left backs is their passing, we build down that side a lot and the more progressive of the pivot midfielders is on that side, so we need a good passer. It's why IMO it took us so long to sign one before Wagner.

Cochrane is a very underrated progressive passer. Biggest weakness IMO is he's susceptible from crosses. doesn't defend his back post well

Doesn't pick his player up very well at corners either

much was made of the Wagner assist and delivery attributes but I dont think there is a huge amount in it between him and Cochrane, right now with AC in great form he looks a better all round LB than Wagner