Opinion: Birmingham City Have Missed Donaldson

I admire Birmingham City striker Clayton Donaldson more than most. For me, he makes things look simple but these things can actually be technically difficult and he always seems to score. I honestly do not care how Birmingham City score their goals as long as we score more than the opposition; the scrappier the better in my opinion. But even those who didn’t really like him before, surely you can’t wait to see him back?

After a period on the sidelines with injury, Clayton Donaldson is back undergoing certain fitness exercises as well as an U23 game plus training. It’s the usual process that players have when they have previously sustained an injury and it is worth mentioning that Jacques Maghoma is also on the same process recovering from his period out of the first team. Both have been a massive miss to the squad in my opinion.

One of the many things that fans say in football that wind me up is that people often say that strikers who score tap ins are just lucky. This is incorrect in every way possible. Donaldson is one of those players that very rarely scores outside of the 18-yard box and most of his are from the 6-yard box. This doesn’t mean to say that he is lucky. Players that always get in and anticipate where the ball is going whilst getting there before the defender are very rare but priceless to have in the squad. The most recent player I have seen to possess this is Manolo Gabbiadini, the Southampton striker who has scored 6 goals in 4 games. He is always on the move and anticipate the goalkeeper to spill the ball or for it to hit the woodwork. They are chancers and they get goals. This is what Donaldson brings.

Not only does he bring physical goals, he also brings confidence. Players are often lifted when their leaders play and Donaldson, in my opinion really does lift the team. The wingers know that he will do his best to get onto the end of crosses whilst midfielders can play the ball into him and know that he can hold it up or charge down a long ball. His work rate is unquestionable despite him being a little slow. But overall, he has skills that we are clearly lacking on the team and that would lift the players around him.

The sooner that Donaldson is fit to play, the better. We really have missed his presence up top. I think that he can really add to the strike force and if he gets goals, we gain points, it’s as simple as that. If this happens then we won’t get dragged into the relegation battle that we are so close to spiralling into it.