Chelsea star struggling to make grade at Birmingham City

Apr 21 2009 By Andy Walker

Though he would never publicly admit it, and instead opt for the ‘you can never keep them all happy’ excuse, perhaps Blues boss Alex McLeish has realised that Sinclair hasn’t got the mental strength for this type of run-in.

Other than coming close to repeating his wonder-goal antics with a blistering 80-yard run during the 1-0 home win over Southampton, Sinclair hasn’t really shown any evidence of being a player capable of competing in the top-four elite.

Perhaps it’s because the hustle and bustle of the Championship doesn’t suit his style. It’s hard to express yourself as a tricky winger if you’ve got a brutish defender breathing down your neck on a bog of a pitch.

However, if you struggle to cut it with the best in the Championship, surely the Champions League isn’t the place for you.

Myself and England fans alike would love nothing more than to see Sinclair break into the Chelsea first team and become another player to fly the St George’s cross among the multi-cultural top four clubs.

Sinclair is as polite, hard-working and dedicated a footballer as you could meet but at the current rate his career is in danger of stagnating, being a loan ranger will only get you so far.

If the 20-year-old is not careful he could end up going the same way as his namesake – the Sinclair C5.