Source: Team_Talk
Blues boss defends Beausejour
irmingham boss Alex McLeish believes Jean Beausejour's torrid full debut was a result of not getting the right service.[LNB] The Chile international made his first Premier League start for Birmingham in their 3-2 defeat to Stoke on Tuesday.[LNB]He struggled to get to grips with the game and was eventually hauled off in the second half, to be replaced by goalscorer Keith Fahey.[LNB]McLeish admits Beausejour's performance came as a disappointment to all concerned, but he has defended the South American against mounting criticism.[LNB]He insists the 26-year-old has shown enough in training, and in a cameo appearance against West Ham, to suggest that he is capable of making a positive impression in the Premier League if Birmingham can play to his strengths.[LNB]"He was receiving the ball with his back to goal a lot," McLeish told the Birmingham Mail.[LNB]"I don't think we got him the ball early enough in the opening part of the game to give him the confidence to get into the pace of it.[LNB]"There was an opportunity when Liam Ridgewell gave him the ball and he should have left him for a one v one, but he went charging right by him and he never got a chance to have a dig at Robert Huth, which was what we were looking for him to do.[LNB]"After that he never got going at all. Everything he received after that, it was with his back to the goal, he never got turned on the full-back at all.[LNB]"It was a little bit of a tough game for him and I did wonder about putting him in, because possibly a home game might be better for him to take his bow.[LNB]"But he was looking really good in training and he came on to great effect in the West Ham game. I felt we have got to get him match fit as soon as possible.[LNB]"Keith Fahey came on and made a great contribution, although we changed the system slightly which certainly helped us to get our midfield more potent than it was in the first half."
