Alex Dicken’s Birmingham City notebook: the Crystal Palace scouting mission and the Krystian Bielik issue.
After receiving his ninth yellow card of the league season during Birmingham City’s victory over Sunderland, Krystian Bielik faces the possibility of suspension.
The St Andrew’s game saw the Poland international Bielik booked in the second half as the Blues overcame a 2-1 deficit to win. Jack Clarke’s first goal for Sunderland was cancelled out by Jordan James and Koji Miyoshi, giving the Blues three points.
In order to avoid serving a two-game ban, Bielik needs to stay out of the book in the Blues’ next five games. Following the 37th Championship game of the season, players who have received 10 yellow cards will no longer be suspended under the terms of the second yellow card amnesty.
Bielik was given five yellow cards, which prevented him from playing in the Blues’ November loss to Sunderland. During the previous season, he received 13 bookings in the Championship.
Since Tony Mowbray moved to center back a few weeks ago, the 26-year-old has flourished in that role. Under Wayne Rooney and John Eustace, he played midfield for the first half of the season.
The five matches the Blues have left before the amnesty are against Middlesbrough, Southampton, Hull, Millwall, and Ipswich Town. James (7) and Juninho Bacuna (8) must likewise exercise caution.
Speaking about Jordan James, Dougie Freedman, the sporting director of Crystal Palace, was undoubtedly drawn to the Blues’ highly-regarded Wales international while they were playing Sunderland. The former manager of Nottingham Forest, Palace, and Bolton was at St Andrew’s scouting the talent.
James and Palace were connected during the January transfer window, however Adam Wharton, a 19-year-old Championship midfielder, was eventually acquired by Palace.
“I was laughing with him yesterday actually, ‘How do you compare yourself to Adam Wharton, son?'” Mowbray said in a statement earlier this month. What are we talking about when we talk about eighteen and a half to twenty-two (million pounds)? Teams aren’t reaching the thresholds at which we would classify him.
In January, Blues turned off insulting bids from Serie A team Atalanta. James, who has scored seven goals so far this season, ought to be worth a lot more in the summer.
