Often Partisan

Bradley and Hutchinson

Birmingham City have been linked with two centre backs in recent days as teams look to rebuild their squads for the season ahead. Sky Sports linked Blues with Portsmouth defender Sonny Bradley while the Express has Blues moving for Motherwell stopper Shaun Hutchinson.

22-year-old Bradley originally played for his hometown team Hull City, spending loan spells at Harrogate Town, Swedish team IK Frej and Aldershot Town before making the move to Fratton Park at the end of last season. He played thirty-four times in Pompey’s League Two campaign, scoring twice and has been touted by his agent for bigger and better things. The chief stumbling block to any deal involving Blues at this moment would be that Bradley is contracted to Portsmouth for another 12 months and as it stands Blues can barely afford wages for new players, let alone transfer fees and it strikes me that naming Blues as an interested party was nothing more than the agent trying to get his player’s name out there.

Hutchinson would seem more likely, with his contract with Motherwell expiring at the end of this season having played thirty-five times for the Steelmen this season as they finished runners-up to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. His manager admitted back in March that Hutchinson was expected to leave in the summer with England the destination and he was linked with Blues by the Colin Tattum of the Birmingham Mail back in April. I’ve not watched much Scottish football so I couldn’t comment on his ability; his age (23) and his height (6’2) would both fit in with the sort of thing I guess we’d be looking for but as Andrew Shinnie proved last season it’s a step up from performing well in the Scottish top flight to repeating that success in the Championship.

With it being June it is now prime Bosman season; English clubs are now free to talk to players at other English clubs whose contract expires at the end of the month and the better players will be snapped up quickly – as evidence by Federico Macheda signing for Cardiff City last week. Blues’ hierarchy will need to move fast to ensure that Clark can get involved in bringing in players; he will have already identified his targets but until he gets the nod from Hong Kong he cannot sign any and at the moment has already missed out on one – Tom Beugelsdijk, who signed for 2.Bundesliga side FSV Frankfurt last month. Blues play Cork City in their first pre-season friendly just five weeks tomorrow and will no doubt want to have got at least a good portion of their business out of the way by then.

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27 Responses to “Bradley and Hutchinson”

  • Kazakblue says:

    Although I am fully aware that it was the weekend in Hong Kong, and as such most people are enjoying themselves at the beach or in the pubs, the ongoing silence from HK is deafening.
    Without Daniels posts we would know nothing.
    We need new signings, that is obvious, but without some form of financial clarity and guidance, then the hands of the manager are tied, and the better players on Bosmans will already be contemplating possible moves.

  • edd77 says:

    Unfortunately although I rate Scottish prem on a par with midtable league 1 at best, this is the player we have to go for these days and hope it works, championship is going to be stronger nxt season so let’s hope for news from hk asap and give us a chance to stay in it

    • Tony says:

      neither of these guys are of the standard we require,

      • ian says:

        i have a funny feeling that this deal will breakdown, so as we don’t have any centre half’s on the books, is something better than nothing?
        what a friggin mess.
        my opinion is that we won’t rid ourselves of bihl until they are declared bankrupt.

  • Richard Granfield says:

    Shaun Hutchinson is the player we are likely to sign if Lee Clark remains as manager.
    Not only is Shaun from Newcastle, he was a member of Wallsend Boys Club from which Clark emerged a few years back.
    Let’s hope that with a little more financial backing Clark or his successor can aim at a higher level than Hutchinson in the transfer market.

  • Agent McLeish says:

    While BIHL fiddle the club continues to burn. No signings of substance will happen while they keep dithering.

  • beegeeblueboy says:

    Guys we are nailed on for a relegation battle because the best Bosmans will have gone even if we can afford them.

    I think due diligence will kill all the 24% deals because of the HKSE restrictions of transferring ‘control’ to the new board of BCFC and the ‘watertight’ guarantee that the rest of the shares must be transferred. HKSE just won’t wear IMO

  • Mineheadblue says:

    “Blues hierarchy will need to move fast”. That’s the problem right there, we don’t have a hierarchy, at least not one worthy of the name!!!!!!!!

  • KeepRightcroydOn says:

    Is the SPL really of such a low standard? I know Shinnie hasn’t cut it with us (yet), but surely we can’t base a judgement of the standard of the SPL on one player. There have been better players than Shinnie who have come over to England and failed to settle, and there have been worse ones than him who have come over and made their mark.

  • Oldburyblue says:

    Do we buy what we can afford now or wait in the hope that money becomes available and we can afford better? We need to build up our squad anyway, so if we buy the best we can afford now there is no harm in buying better players if and when money becomes available. As long as all the players we buy are good enough to play when required we will at least be covered.

  • dave mann says:

    centre halves are without dout our main priority but with so many leaving we need players in all areas so theres an awfull lot of work for the new owners to do and its
    gonna take a lot of patience from all of us till the new season starts to get a team together that wont struggle like the season just gone. ps, nice to be back on the new set up dan, KRO.

  • Peter Senior says:

    when are we to hear anything from hsk & bihl, regarding this preferded bidder /, or are they the prefered bidder ?, why has peter wray , stated that it could take upto 3 wks, ?, soon all the best possible targets will have been snapped up , and we will be scratching around for any players we can get on the cheap . i can see us being in the same situation next season , looking over our shoulders at the drop again?.i know that its different in hsk , but the silence is unnerving?.

  • DoctorD says:

    More of the same next year then I predict.

  • Chris W says:

    Clark will obviously have the heads up on Hutchinson from Darren Randolph. Not knocking SPL or the standard of players; I spent a few seasons watching Inverness CT, was quite impressed at the standard but the pace was a lot slower. The problem with players is adjusting as Shinnie struggled. There are many factors when settling in a new environment, pace, family, accessibility, schools etc, even cultures. Having done so through work several times I struggled just the once but I know my family took longer which affected my performance at times.
    There is the apathy or the apparent lack of urgency from BIHL unless LC has an agreed agenda, which is worrying even at this early stage of pre-season. Many managers will be working to improve and I cannot see LC being any different.
    He knows that he cannot offer more than £5k per week nor have a squad of more than 24, if reports in the papers are true.
    I doubt BIHL can afford to let the team slip behind the rest as I am sure it will reflect on the sale price.
    KRO+DNM

  • Dan Shaw says:

    As a Pompey season ticket holder who goes to the majority of away games, I can only say I fear for any club who are in the market for Sonny Bradley. A very poor centre half.

    • Tony says:

      Have seen Bradley on a couple of occasions and agree he is very very poor.This guy Grounds on the other hand seems to fit the bill, he is mainly a left back who can play centre half not a bad start.

  • Richard Granfield says:

    Welcome to Blues Jonathan Grounds. He is more of a Left Back than a Central Defender but is versatile which is what we need.

  • Alan Moore says:

    Well we’ve just signed Jonathon Grounds from Oldham – who can play LB or CH – on a Bosman so it seems as though we are still alive and well and able to do deals!

  • Richard Granfield says:

    Lee Clark has been given the green light to sign Grounds. I wonder if this signing foreshadows news of investment into the club?

  • mark says:

    well happy clark got his first strike in welcome Mr Grounds, obviously we are dead broke lol glad paul bought his 3 st lol we never been able to afford him………..

  • mark says:

    shinnista first season in the championship give the guy a break jeez

  • mark says:

    sorry Dave well back mate did you bring staffsblue long with you as well…..

  • mark says:

    Daniel did you note we have signed a player, we barely affords wages???…..what are paying him chocolate buttons, we just given him a two year deal…..lol

  • mark says:

    totally agree need two big meaty defenders who will die for the shirt…..come on me Clark….


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