Chris Davies singles out ‘robust’ Birmingham City man as help appears on horizon
Birmingham City have played 18 games so far this season and one man has been leading the charge
Chris Davies has commended Alex Cochrane, an unsung hero, for taking on the responsibility of being Birmingham City’s sole senior left back who is fit and recognised.
Hearts signed the 24-year-old in the summer, and he has been a mainstay of the Blues’ League One campaign. He played an additional 94 minutes in the team’s 1-0 victory over Sutton United over the weekend.
As Blues have advanced to the Bristol Street Motors Trophy final stages and the second round of the FA Cup, the defender is one of only 20 outfield players in the entire division to play every minute. He has also added four starts in cup competitions.
Since Lee Buchanan, the Blues’ starter from the previous season, has been out since the summer, rookie Brandon Khela is the only other player to start at left back.
The expectations made on the former Brighton trainee are also well known to Davies. According to BirminghamLive, “I’ve been really impressed with his robustness, his physical fitness, and his mental fitness to keep going and keep churning out the games because it’s not easy.”
We wanted depth at every position, so he was brought in. Lee Buchanan is our other left back, but he has been out by injury for the entire season. Thus, Alex has had to do everything. That’s why I’ve been so amazed.
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“He is a very excellent defender and has a pretty wonderful left foot. In his role with the squad, he selects and chooses when to advance into the final third. He can take a set piece well and has a few assists. He has, in my opinion, been a very wise addition to the team.
Davies is hopeful that Cochrane will soon receive assistance, since Buchanan has resumed training with the first team following a few calf issues, and Alfons Sampsted showed promise in the 7-1 victory over Fulham.
The upside was that we saw Alfons could play there the other night because he is a fantastic tactician and confident with the ball. In my opinion, that was a wise choice in the situation. Ben Davies, a left-footed player, is another option for that position.
After returning to light training with the team, we have a few choices, but our main aim is that Lee Buchanan can establish a solid foundation of fitness. If we can get Lee right, he will be a key member of our team for the remainder of the season.
