Birmingham City`s defensive frailties are made all the more frustrating given the fact that a highly rated Arsenal youngster sits kicking his heels on the bench week after week.
Krystian Bielik signed for Blues on loan back in January. We were told his versatility was a massive benefit and that he would improve the leaky defence. So far, he`s started just two games (the 2-1 defeat at Preston and 1-1 draw at Cardiff) and has been introduced from the bench on two occasions.
My understanding is that Arsene Wenger agreed to send the 19 year-old out on loan to gain experience. But what sort of experience is he gaining from playing 10 minutes here and there?
With the way Blues have been defending this season, it was easy to understand why Gianfranco Zola opted to bring in a fresh defensive option. But Arsenal do not send their young players out on loan to play a bit part for a struggling Championship team.
When Bielik has been on the pitch, he has been impressive. His cameo appearance at Wolves was the highlight of his time at Bleus so far. Frustratingly, he found himself back on the bench for the next two games – a 3-1 defeat against Leeds and a 1-0 defeat against Wigan.
Bielik started in Saturday`s draw at Cardiff and did reasonably well – everything points to him starting against Newcastle on Saturday. Zola has been raving about the youngsters ability so surely he won`t be left out again?
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