Wanted: Challenger for left back

Competition for places is vital in any squad so the fact that Jonathan Grounds is Blues` only natural left back is a concern.

Not that I have anything against the lad – he`s ok if not brilliant, he does a job. Yes, he is prone to the odd error like any defender in world football. But no player, be it Grounds or Lionel Messi, should be guaranteed a starting place every week.

At Wigan, Grounds` decent performance was marred by his error in the 89th minute which resulted in Wigan`s equaliser. There was no need for him to push forward and challenge the Wigan player. Due to Grounds being out of position, the ball was played to Will Grigg (who was in the exact spot Grounds occupied three seconds earlier) and his pull back was put away by Craig Davies. Basic stuff, basic error.

Blues fans shouldn`t castigate Grounds, after all, he was a free transfer from Oldham Athletic and hasn`t done all too badly. But we should expect a second left back who can replace him when he tires, makes a mistake or puts in a bad performance.

Anywhere else on the pitch, such a situation usually results in that player being dropped, or taking out of the ‘firing line` – it should be no different for our left back.

As we understand it, Gary Rowett has spoken to Kieran Richardson but is pursuing other, younger, targets for the left full back berth. This can only be a good thing for the competition in the squad.