A few months have passed since Pritchard’s controversial departure from Sunderland amidst a cloud of confusion over his contract situation but are we missing him?
Adil Aouchiche has started to feature more prominently, especially since Pritchard’s departure and it’s clear that the club see him as the replacement. Aouchiche, like many other players, has split opinions massively throughout the season. He has shown moments of quality and demonstrated the attributes that Pritchard sometimes lacked. However, at the same time, Aouchiche has probably yet to string a consistent set of performances together which is something that Pritchard was capable of.
Since leaving however, Pritchard hasn’t won the hearts of the Birmingham fans quite yet in the limited number of appearances he’s made so far. He has played just 291 minutes of football over six appearances since joining the club in January. One of those ending in defeat as a direct result of him losing the ball in front of his own penalty area. Some fans have been questioning his attitude and desire to play for the club with some Birmingham fans claiming attitudes like that are the reason they are in a relegation battle.
So simply, do we miss him? Yes and no. I think Pritchard really valued his time at the club and wanted to be here. Having players like that is essential for any team wanting to succeed. His experience could also have been crucial in the development of Aouchiche and even Abdoullah Ba who both struggle to combine ability with good decision making. For this side of the argument, I think he could have been a valuable player to have around even if it was to the end of the season. He knows the league. He has the experience and having him there to learn from and take guidance from could have helped set up the likes of Aouchiche for a big season.
However at the same time, Pritchard failed to produce regularly in the 10 role and his six goal contributions (one goal) in 23 games showcased that. The contract situation with Pritchard was a bizarre one. Pritchard made his intentions clear in the summer and told the club he wanted to move on but a move never materialised. He was then offered a new deal which was rejected which ultimately led to his departure with just six months left on his contract.
VERDICT
I think Sunderland were better for Pritchard as opposed to Pritchard being better for us. The two were a good match for each other at the time however as Sunderland’s ‘ambitions’ changed following last season's success, so did their intentions. Overall I think it was best for both parties that we parted ways, however as mentioned on many other occasions, it only looks a good decision if Sunderland replace the experience they lost through him. Ultimately creating chances hasn’t necessarily been our downfall this season. Finishing them has been and Pritchard wasn’t going to contribute in that sense. So for that reason, I will go with no, I don’t think we have missed him.
