Left-back conundrum

OK, left-back, the 'problem position for Blues'.

Here they are, in all their glory, since Cardiff 2002

Grainger

Kenna

Carter

Damien Johnson

Michael Johnson

Powell

Sadler

Clapham

Woodhouse

Clemence

Tebily

Lazaridis

Upson

Gray

Painter

Larsson

Kelly

Queudrue

Parnaby

Schmitz

Murphy

Darren Carter started at left-back for Blues a couple of time, including the derby at Albion in October 2002 (a 1-1 draw, Darren Moore own goal).

He had a rocky old time of it there at Spurs in January 2004, when Steve Bruce ended up shifting Stephen Clemence to the position, then Michael Johnson, then Jeff Kenna, all in the first-half of a comprehensive 4-1 defeat.

Curtis Woodhouse played the last quarter at left-back at Manchester United in December 2002 and earlier that season Darryl Powell had an uncomfortable baptism there when Manchester City visited.

The problems then were caused by Martin Grainger's injury woes, and although Kenna and then Jamie Clapham did sterling jobs, the berth was not properly nailed down.

Julian Gray impressed as a sleek, athletic full-back - remember him marking Manchester
United's Ronaldo out of the game? - and was talked about as an England candidate.

Stan Lazaridis, who had played left-back for a while for Australia, then the got the gig before it came full circle to Mat Sadler in the Championship.

As for Ferdinand Coly, his couple of appearances were at right-back, although remembering his
erratic debut at Fulham, no-one was quite sure where he was supposed to be on the pitch, least of all himself.