Birmingham City manager Pep Clotet suggested that Josh McEachran managing to prove his ability to last the full 90 minutes is a real positive the Blues can take out of their 2-0 defeat against Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday.

McEachran was handed his first start for the Blues in their 3-2 win against Reading last weekend, with his technical ability and reading of the game helping Clotet’s side control the tempo of the game, but having only arrived at St Andrews at the end of September, he looked a little short on match fitness and had to be taken off in the second half.

However, against QPR McEachran managed to prove his fitness by lasting the whole game and he was one of the Blues’ better performers, with his vision and ability in possession helping Clotet’s side control the majority of the possession throughout the contest.

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Speaking to Birmingham’s official website following the defeat against QPR, Clotet suggested that McEachran showed his experience in managing to last the ninety minutes and that him doing so shows he has the match fitness needed, saying: "That was a very big plus. On Saturday it was difficult for him to get to the end of the game, today it was much better.

"And today he was very smart with the way he played; he didn’t require a lot of physical movement because his positioning was always very bright.

"I think that’s why his experience and his ability got him through the 90 minutes, which is a positive thing from a bad night."

The Verdict

Birmingham’s performance against QPR was flat and lacking in much quality, but McEachran did at least manage to display his potential to add some extra quality to the Blues’ midfield during the rest of the season, after a promising individual performance in his first start at St Andrews.

McEachran is used to playing in a side which aims to control most of the possession in matches, having enjoyed a largely successful spell at Brentford, and his composure under pressure on the ball was evidenced at times against QPR which helped Clotet’s side keep hold of the ball as they looked to create attacking openings.

Given the way that Clotet is wanting his side to play, McEachran could develop into a really important player at the heart of their midfield - and the Spaniard will be pleased that the midfielder was able to complete the full match heading into the rest of the congested festive period.