Birmingham City started this season with a lot less optimism than they began the last, and it’s almost worked in their favour.
In summer 2025, off the back of smashing the Football League record with a 111-point haul en route to the League One title, Blues were everyone’s tip for the title.
“This won’t be the best thing we celebrate together. Not even f’ing close.” – chairman Tom Wagner, finishing his speech at the title party in the 4-0 win over Mansfield, before walking off defiantly as if he were acting in a film.
Whereas at most clubs, the expectation is set by the fans and it’s up to the club to meet them, at Blues the expectation has been set by ownership, and the supporters are almost catching up with that.
Too many changes, arguably, were made to the title-winning squad, with 18 new signings made across both windows, and the team struggling to maintain the same cohesion, all while boss Chris Davies was learning how to navigate the league as an experienced coach but a rookie manager.
There was almost too much of everything. Too many new signings. Too much optimism. Too much expectancy. Too much pressure. Albeit, a top-10 finish is not to be sniffed at for a newly-promoted club, but even the fact that was received as underwhelming for a club used to the division’s nether regions highlights how high the bar has shifted.
Whereas, this season, it probably hasn’t done any harm that, for different reasons, Wagner has been quieter. Of course, everyone at bet365 sends our best wishes to him for a healthy recovery.
It’s only been five additions for the B9 outfit this summer, in terms of players who weren’t at the club last season, and that’s probably helped settle things down a bit: the players all know one another, and it’s been largely the same team that were there last season, just with better cohesion.
There’s been a few redemption arcs that the modest business has facilitated, namely James Beadle, retained on a second loan from Brighton after a shaky first, Phil Neumann, Bright Osayi-Samuel and August Priske: players who didn’t set the world alight last season, but who have since come into their own.
Similarly, winger Liam Millar has been in sumptuous form on the left wing, bringing pace, skill and quality with two goals and three assists to his name.
Elsewhere, Jay Stansfield hasn’t got the pure numbers yet, but is impressing in other areas of his game, in terms of athleticism, aggressive pressing and link-up play, and could be ready to add an extra layer of productivity to his game.
Davies is doing a terrific job. Birmingham had a tough run of fixtures in their first nine games, facing nine of the top 14 current favourites for a top six finish with the bookies, and to come out of that with one defeat is splendid work.
The 6-1 League Cup humiliation by Brentford, off the back of an unconvincing point against Bristol City, had some fans getting itchy, but they won at Wrexham the following Friday and haven’t since looked back.
At this rate, Birmingham could be outsiders for an automatic promotion challenge.
