Luke Turner looks at the performance of the second half team last night…
Blues changed to a completely different team at half time with Gary Rowett making eleven changes which included Dwight Tiendalli at left back and Nicolai Brock-Madsen at right midfield.
I think it’s fair to say that the second half team failed to match the performance standard that was set by those playing in the first 45.
They couldn’t seem to get the passing going and they found it hard to gel. However, they did create opportunities.
Most of them fell to James Vaughan. We all know how desperate he is to score for Blues but after three decent opportunities missed yesterday, it makes you wonder if he will actually ever score a goal for us.
Koby Arthur is someone that needs to impress Gary Rowett and I think he did alright out on the left side of midfield. He cut in a couple of times and had a couple of excellent shots that didn’t quite find their way in.
On the other side was Brock-Madsen. Now, I think it’s clear to see that Brock isn’t a winger. He did his best out there and linked well with Caddis a few times but, ultimately, I don’t think his future is out on the wing. He will feel hard done by that he didn’t get the chance up front.
Moving infield, and it was Andy Shinnie who took over from Fabbrini in the number 10 role. The Scot is another one of those who really needs to step up and show Rowett what he’s capable of.
He didn’t really set the world alight last night but it was clear that he was determined to make an impact. Even if he lost the ball, he was looking to win it back and pick the ball up again. I think he deserves game time to show what he can do.
The Blues defence was a strong one with Caddis, Morrison, Shotton and Tiendalli lining up. However, they did get exploited down Caddis and Morrison`s side which eventually resulted in a goal for Solihull Moors. For me, though, I wouldn’t be too worried about it at this stage of pre-season.
Tiendalli, on trial at the club, played at left back and I’m finding it difficult to remember anything of note he did. Yes, he played at left back and not his preferred right back but I don’t feel like he did enough to impress.
I do, however, think we should take a longer look at him to give him that opportunity to make a mark. If Rowett is struggling in his search for another full back, then it would seem necessary to keep hold of Tiendalli for as long as possible.
A quick mention to Adam Legzdins who made a couple of excellent saves in the second half to keep the score line in Blues` favour.
Of course, this was our first proper friendly of the summer and I don’t think we should read too much into it. Solihull Moors gave us a decent game but, obviously, their quality won’t match what we will face in the Championship.
There were plenty of positives but also things that we can work on and try and get better at. At this stage, it’s just a case of getting minutes under the belt and improving that fitness.
Second half score: 1-0 (Full time: 1-3)
Team: Legzdins, Caddis, Morrison, Shotton, Tiendalli, Gleeson, Kieftenbeld, Arthur, Shinnie, Brock-Madsen, Vaughan.