The Morrison Effect

‘You get what you pay for` is a well-known saying in football and life in general. But in football terms, a transfer fee does not always dictate the quality of a player or how important he is to a team. On 5 January 2015, Birmingham City completed the signing of Michael Morrison after a successful initial two-month loan spell. The fee paid to Charlton Athletic to obtain his services was ‘undisclosed` but is thought to have been measley.

To summarise what sort of player Morrison is, I only had to take a quick glance at social media comments on the day his transfer was confirmed. Many Addicks` supporters were up in arms about losing such a quality defender for such a low sum. But the 27 year-old was much more than just a player, he was Charlton`s vice-captain.

During his 23 appearances for Blues last season, the six-foot central defender showed his qualities as a player and a leader. The Blues squad was crying out for a commanding presence in the back-four and Morrison certainly provided that. He uses his frame to thwart attackers and puts his body on the line and, as a bonus, he is decent on the ball too.

At Blues` training camp in Marbella, Brian Dick of the Birmingham Mail has reported that Morrison has been a leader of men. He was seen offering positional advice to a young defender, Wes Harding. Surely, he is a dead cert for the skipper`s armband sooner rather than later.

Born in Bury St Edmunds, Morrison began his career at Cambridge United before a move to Leicester City in 2008. After 93 appearances in a Leicester shirt, he moved to Sheffield Wednesday and then on to Charlton.

A big piece of Gary Rowett`s summer puzzle is now who to partner alongside Morrison. Jonathan Spector is the obvious choice, as was the case towards the back end of last season. But Paul Robinson is also in the frame and David Edgar will soon return from International duty with Canada to stake his claim. Rowett has gone on record to say that, although he would like to bring a new defender in in an ideal world, it isnt a priority. So, Blues fans, who would you like to see partner Morrison?

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