Chucho chatter

Christian Benitez. Discuss. Plenty of people have been doing just that.

There should be no conspiracy theories, no wondering whether he's on his way to West Ham United and David Sullivan, whether there's an appearance-related financial clause, whether he's lost his gloves and so on . . .

If Benitez isn't picked, it's the manager's decision, based on a number of factors.

If Benitez isn't signed, then again that's because Alex McLeish and the Blues board do not think he's worth the punt judging on the season as a whole - and have already got strikers they believe are better lined up.

Also - and this is something that cannot be under-estimated - his parent club Santos Laguna seem to want to hike the price agreed with Blues to make his loan permanent due to interest from others.

McLeish, when asked by the media at large in his last couple of press conferences, said he would like to sign Benitez, but it would likely come down to finance.

We all tend to judge it in black and white - and you can argue a strong case for Benitez's inclusion on the statistics - but there are also shades of grey in this case.

McLeish and his coaching staff see how much Benitez does, or doesn't do, in training each day. They see how well, or not, he is inter-acting with his team mates.

I get the impression he's the sort who doesn't go in much for dress rehearsals, but when the footlights illuminate the stage for real, he comes alive.

I gather McLeish hoped that Benitez would have kicked on from the impact he made during his key part in the 'unbeatables' run and got even better, and added more consistency.

Since scoring at Everton in the FA Cup - only this third goal, remember - he has not really done it since, apart from Portsmouth away, when he was how he was in late October and early November.

Against Chelsea, Spurs, Wolves, Derby from the turn of the year he was ineffective, took a knock, didn't impress in training, lost confidence and form and McLeish first put him onto the sidelines.

In fact, recalling other games before that stretch, Chucho was not a stand-out either.

James McFadden, who was moved up top in preference, played well in some games, in most others he was adequate - as were the rest of the side; no better, no less as results nosedived.

McLeish was going to restore the Benitez-Cameron Jerome partnership after Manchester City and move McFadden back to wide on the left.

But after lengthy discussions with his backroom staff and watching the mood at Wast Hills, he kept the same side.

Personally I would have gone back to Benitez and Jerome up front, McFadden on the flank. I wrote so and have said so to McLeish. It was puzzling why he didn't then bring him on against Hull City.

They have dovetailed well, and given Blues a threatening, less predictable edge in attack when together, in the main.

But I don't think there's a direct correlation between the fact he has not been selected to start in the last five matches and Blues dip in results.

It's team game and whereas Blues defence, concentration and discipline was immense during the 15-game ublemished sequence, it has not been of late, and they have not got decent enough ball into attack.

The narrowness of the play - another debate, that, and the need for a Charles N'Zogbia type - plus some fatigue, plus reaching 40 points and so on . . . the reasons are various.

Benitez is the type who catches the eye, he needs the ball played into those areas where defenders don't know whether to twist or stick, in and around the box.

But, and I've written this before, he is not a natural goalscorer. If you could transplant Kevin Phillips nose for goal and positioning into his DNA, fantastic.

This debate reminds me a lot of the Mauro Zarate issue, which has tended to rear it's head more in recent months than it actually did at the time he played for Blues.

A talent, sure, a goalscorer, yes. But he went missing in a lot of games and flattered to deceive.

Blues didn't get relegated in 2008 because he wasn't played enough. McFadden carried Blues a lot after his arrival until he was injured, and Jerome should have played more away from home. Olivier Kapo, who could have been an inspiration, wasn't fit when really needed.

The main reason was that Blues were weak on the road, in the big games, mentally suspect.

This Blues team are far more stronger in that respect and although the season has tapered off disappointingly, they have still done incredibly well and over-achieved.

And it's not down to one man that they put together a club record run of results, nor that they haven't won in seven matches.

I would sign Benitez, if all things were equal, only to be one of four or five quality strikers competing for two places next season.

He has got an up-side, yet I don't think he should be considered, or guaranteed, as the main man for 2010-11.

And we still have yet to discover what other targets Blues have in mind.