Kai Wagner’s desire to return to Philadelphia for family reasons barely six months after signing for Blues threw an unexpected spanner into the works.
It was something Chris Davies and the club couldn’t have foreseen or done much about in the final reckoning.
The German left-back re-signed for Philadelphia Union in a €4.5 million deal.
Blues made a tidy profit on Wagner, who cost €2 million; not that it was their intention to do so this summer.
In a farewell messages, Wagner outlined the reasons for leaving and it was not down to the football.
He gave consideration to his wife and three children and a recent post on Instagram by his spouse, Jenny, gave an indication of how unsettled she had become.
Wagner made an immediate impact for Blues. He came with the reputation as the MLS assist king and, indeed, on his debut against Coventry City he wasted no time in delivering a sumptuous ball that Marvin Ducksch slammed in for the opening goal.
His barrelling runs to get forward down the left and add an extra dimension to the attack were a feature.
But now Davies is back to where he once was.
Alex Cochrane and Lee Buchanan are the senior left-backs in situ.
Cochrane has been a reliable sort for Davies throughout his time at the club but is a different kind of player to Wagner. Like Wagner, he has a lovely delivery off his left foot. But he is more reserved in terms of attacking, as Davies has by and large preferred to indulge the right-back in that respect.
Buchanan is happily again in the swing of things after a serious knee injury but has only played four games in the last two seasons.
It would be a surprise, nonetheless, if Blues went out and signed another left-back as Wagner’s replacement given there are two highly capable players still in the squad. And we have seen both Jack Robinson and Ethan Laird used as fill-in left-backs.
Cochrane will probably get the nod to resume in the role although Davies has commented on how pleased he has been with Buchanan so far this pre-season.
It might result in a slight tweak to the way Blues play, it might not. We will have to wait and see, as there were a couple of alterations from Wagner’s first game to his last.
But if Bright Osayi-Samuel starts – Laird is currently on the mend after injury – you would imagine Davies opts to embrace his athletic, forward-running instincts and have Cochrane more as the stay-at-home.
Stylistically both full-backs, by the campaign’s end, were in fact more pragmatic as Davies looked for wingers Ibrahim Osman and Carlos Vicente to be direct and go in behind, and be hit earlier on transitions.
Cochrane’s first taste of Championship football last season will stand him in good stead.
And Buchanan has proven himself at this level and has the nous to roll across inside as part of an in-possession back three should Davies want to free up the right-hand side.
Wagner’s departure Stateside after just 16 appearances created a problem, but at least Blues should have the answers from within to cope and adapt.
