Ins and outs at St Andrews

Aydan Anderson

10 May 2009, 21:39

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So Alex McLeish has announced the players that the club won’t be keeping on next season; Kemi Augustien, Carlos Costly and Scott Sinclair will all return to their clubs following loan deals. Tunisian midfielder Mehdi Nafti will also be leaving when his contract expires next month. Question marks still hang over the futures of Radhi Jaidi and Stephen Kelly. While it remains to be seen whether permanent deals can be struck to secure the services of Lee Bowyer, Djimi Traore and Hameur Bouazza.

Personally I would like the club to reward Jaidi’s performances towards the end of the campaign with a year extension to his contract. He may not be the youngest or quickest player at the club but his passion and experience shone through in the Championship run-in and those attributes can only be positive in a potential relegation battle. Plus, regardless what division he is in its doubtful any striker will better the big defender in an aerial or physical battle. As for Stephen Kelly I don’t think he will be returning to St Andrews any time soon. Surely Stoke have had a deal in place to make his move permanent should they retain their Premiership status. Even if not I doubt that McLeish will welcome back a player who obviously did not want to be here after we were relegated.

Looking at the loan players both Lee Bowyer and Hameur Bouazza have shown they have the quality to improve the squad and should be signed permanently if the deal is right. Bowyer should be available on the cheap and if McLeish can strike a cut price deal for Bouazza he would definitely give the team options in the wide positions. Djimi Traore has had less time to impress but in the games that he has featured in he has done his chances no harm and again, should the deal be right, I would be happy to see Traore here next season.

Other potential departures from the squad over the next few months are being hotly debated on the various Birmingham message boards and forums. The general consensus is that Gary McSheffrey will follow Mehdi Nafti out of St Andrews in the near future. McSheffrey is a player with obvious talent but a lack of confidence and form will surely force Alex McLeish to take a loss on the ex-Coventry man and Blues may be lucky to get £1.5m for him. Martin Taylor is another player who could move in the summer but I doubt Tiny will be allowed to leave unless adequate cover is brought in, especially with Ridgewell’s injury problem. Finally, should Blues find a club interested in taking on his poor displays and extortionate wage packet then Marcus Bent will be moving – yet again.

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>	A shot at the top for Alex
	10 May 09 \| Birmingham City