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Trials and Tribulations
Birmingham City have taken former Dutch international Dwight Tiendalli as they ratchet up their pre-season training in Marbella. The full-back was released by mutual consent from Swansea on September 1 last year and hasn’t played a professional game since turning out for Middlesbrough on loan in the Championship against Brighton in May 2015.
The Surinamese-born defender has linked up with Blues while they go through their pre-season training camp in Marbella to allow Gary Rowett to take a closer look at him. A right-back by trade, Tiendalli can also play left-back and it’s that kind of versatility that I think would make him appeal to Rowett who is short in defence.
However, I think a lot of people have read too much into this as a potential transfer; as I understand it trials are a bit of a “free hit” and as such don’t impact on players we are already looking at; it’s just a chance to take a look at a player who might improve the team for very little outlay. We’ve had some success with trialists – Stephen Carr comes to mind – but in the main trials very rarely go any further.
I believe Blues are very much still in the market for a left-back to come in and even if Tiendalli was signed I doubt that would change. Blues are very short of true left-sided players and while Tiendalli can play at left-back I think Rowett would prefer to bring one in who is predominately left-footed.
According to French football site foot-sur7, Blues have also taken on trial 19-year-old Bordeaux keeper Simon Lefebvre. The young Frenchman, who stands an impressive 6’8 tall was third keeper at Les Girondins last season and is looking to win his first professional contract. I would suspect if he is on trial then he will be with the u-21 group in Austria.
No doubt Blues will trial other players this summer; while some of them will no doubt be more interesting than others I think it’s worth remembering just how few trialists ever get taken on before wondering if they are there to replace potential first team purchases.
Tags: Dwight Tiendalli, Simon Lefebvre
68 Responses to “Trials and Tribulations”
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i would like to hear more about our homegrown players and how they are looking to break into the first team……..What RG doing about that!
Who’s RG????.lol
sorry chris i was taking the pee lol
Rary Gowett of course!
We have sold off a generation of star youngsters in…. Redmond …butland….mutch…gray….stars don’t come that quick through the ranks ,we need to play catch up in first team positions where stars are ageing ……kro
No mention of Cotterill going to Cardiff
Non-story, there is no clause in his contract…
It would be interesting though to see what would happen if we did get a firm offer from Cardiff. Would Cotts ask permission to speak to them? It is his hometown after all and could be his last chance to sign a decent contract.
I wonder what circumstances a player like Tiendalli is not with a club or contract for a full season. After being a premier team squad member before there must be some big reason and it has to be a long way back to being squad ready fitness wise. If he has kept fit enough then a mature fullback with pedigree would help the squad a lot. There is the potential of hunger to make up for lost time that could fit with GR or it is a non starter.
I think he was injured for most of last season Pete
Ok. Injured and without a club cant be easy.
Definatly. The good thing is Pete, Rowett can have a good look at him & if he’s any good & he’s over his injury problems then there’s another player in on a free if we decide to give him a contract.
Tiendalli would be a valuable addition to Blues’ squad if he can prove his fitness.
He has played in the Premier League, has full caps for Holland and being two footed can play
both full back positions. And with no transfer fee involved is a no brained.
Brained.
Have another go.
Lol
Gary knows we can’t contemplate a sustained play off challenge without changing both full backs. They’re preferred left back won’t be cheap so getting this guy in effectively halves the price for two new ones.
what about the middle of defense?? could not win a game from the last 8 games……
Barking up the wrong tree Julian.
never heard of teams winning promotion from inspired full back performances! not saying they’re u/s but its not that key. If you want to win games you need solid centre backs and someone who will put the ball in the net more often than not.
I think Stephen Carr and Liam Ridgewell would be chuckling about your comment
Although I rated both of them I still never felt as though they single-handedly won any games for blues through their performances on their own, they also played behind some of the best midfielders I’ve ever seen in a blues shirt so I’m not quite sure why they would chuckle too much pal. but i suppose thats just an opinion
Agree with BCJ and the experience that Tiendalli could bring to the ‘Defense’, could be a shrewd move, though he has already had a trial with Raneri at Leicester that wasn’t followed up. I see that Bendtner is in the market for a free transfer any views? Kro
If we could bring him in & leave his ego elsewhere he could be ideal, problem is his ego is what would cost us. Poor disillusioned man thinks he is far better than he actually is!!!!!
*Bendtner that is not Tiendalli*
Yeah, you’re insane if you think we can afford his wages.
Being insane is the main requirement for being a bluenose isn’t it Dan.lol
and Gary et al would be insane to waste their time on a player they cannot afford to finance
Tiendalli was a good player for Swansea. Would be good if he can get back to full fitness but I think its a lot harder at his age he is 30 years old. But it dues have some similar things about it to when we signed Stephen Carr out of retirement. I agree Dan if he dues get a contract it wont change the left back situation GR will sill be looking at there.
I think you’ll find a height of 2 metres 3cm as reported in Foot sur 7 is 6 foot 7, not 6 foot 8.
No it is 6 foot 8. I’ll get me coat.
….as the bishop said to the actress, ‘what’s an inch between friends?’
At that height what’s he like on the floor take him half an hour to get down.
Was never a problem for Ziggy!!
Lol
I think we should give Marko livaja a striker a trial ….22 Yo ,… 6 ft…if he is still out of contract that is KRO
BM reckon we’re interested in Kieran Richardson.
Little bit like a used car with 80k on the clock.Could be a good little runner for a few more years but could be a clapped out banger.A gamble for me.
You’d have thought with him being linked with us, vile fans would be singing his praises, just to offload him onto us… but they haven’t got a good word to say about him. Although, Sheff Wed fans did the same with Maghoma.
Staffs, You could mention any one of their players and they wouldn’t have a good word about any of em.
That’s what I meant. We had the same with Wednesday fans, but Maghoma turned out to be a key player for most of the season.
You can count on one hand the number of really decent games Maghoma. No way was he a key player for most of the season. As for Richardson,he’s no better than we already have.In fact he’s probably worse.
Richardson would be a real backwards step
10 years ago maybe . KRO
Bring in Tom Bradshaw now ….a decent left back and a class goalkeeper then I,d be happy
Tom Bradshaw has been deemed not good enough by GR. Trust me on this.
Really ? Wonder who he has in mind then? Can’t be many better out there for the money we’re spending.
maybe he needs to take his tinted glasses off then gary rowett only scored 22 goals in 380 appearances he knows a lot about scoring lol
Thats not bad for a Full back.
Or maybe GR knows more about football than you? I bloody hope he does ;)
That’s the problem Rowets judgement when if ever will Ronan Hales be considered good enough?.
Kieran Richardson? No thanks, there’s got to be better out there that an old pro looking for a pay packet – never did rate him anyway.
Yep Richardson’s been round the block too many times.
Never saw KR as a left back as he is not what you call a good header of a ball , good tackler though …for me a central midfield player , that can tackle back , and as a powerful accurate shot which is what you need to beat top goalkeepers from outside the box …perhaps the difference between blues and villa fans as tom Ross has said is what’s needed to resurrect his career , but then again remember phleb ….
He was a midfielder converted to full back, good left foot willing worker but burned out long ago.
Sniffing around the freebies.
Tom bradshaw whether GR thinks so or not has improved from 2008 having his best spell at walsall 70appearances 34 goals. Given the chance he could quite easy push or kick on at a better club which would be us imo.
he age 23 possibly the next stage will to be in full welsh team which he made 8 appearance scoring 1 goal having already played at u19 and u21 scoring in both those age groups. Clearly Mr safely first has missed the trick lol
Off subject.
I met my Brother in a bar in Bromsgrove for a drink last night and guess how came in to the bar. Steve Claridge remember him? He was with some guys from the BBC. For some program to do with Grass roots football. He ordered ice & lemon with tonic water lol and me and my Brother had a joke with him. He stayed about 2 hours talking to us and the bar man. He talked about Salisbury and what a nice place it is and how he would love to get Villa in the cup. Nice guy We had a good night.
who*
Wish we had a Steve Claridge now mate . KRO
Wurzel. He’s one of my all-time favourites.
Very underrated player.He was scruffy and at times looked a bit awkward but the guy could play and always gave everything.
828 games, 255 career goals. 35 goals in 88 games for Blues. Bought for £350,000, sold for £1.2m. I can’t think of a better £350,000 we’ve spent.
Have to agree.
Nelson Oliveira is linked with us
In Gary we trust of course, but looking at who Monk at Leeds has just signed (Roofe from Oxford and Grimes from Swansea) for about £3mill makes you think we’re not just behind Newcastle etc but also many of the mid-table teams too.
That`s why i think any talk of promotion is,sadly,wide of the mark this season. We simply haven`t the financial clout to compete at the top end.