00:00Obviously, a massive, massive summer to not only get a few names into the side, but also
00:07to prepare for this Ligue 1 rebuild that could and they hope is going to happen. What's the
00:13latest you can tell us on the transfer front? Let's start with a bit of transfer news.
00:18It's been a promising start to the window, actually. Now that Chris Davies has properly
00:21settled in, pre-season has started at the beginning of July and they're getting some
00:25new faces in already, which is good to see. The goalkeeping department was a massive area
00:30of concern because John Ruddy has joined Newcastle United upon the expiry of his contract. Neil
00:35Leatheridge was always going to leave. He was a high earner. He left Birmingham with
00:38no senior goalkeeper, but they have signed two already. They've got that out of the way.
00:42Ryan Allsopp from Hull City and then Bailey Peacock-Farrell from Burnley. Peacock-Farrell
00:47being a Northern Ireland international may be just squeezing in ahead of Allsopp, but
00:51I think there'll be an interesting debate as to which one's going to start. But having
00:55two top-quality keepers in League One, I think is going to be a good basis for Blues
00:59at the back. There's also another signing to be made on the back line, this time a centre-back.
01:04Mike Urge-Huygens, I believe it's pronounced, playing in the Dutch League for Sparta Rotterdam.
01:10About £2 million he's going to cost. A very tall centre-back who can play out from the
01:14back pretty effectively, trying to build that solid basis, as I mentioned. Dion Sanderson,
01:19very committed to the club and hoping to get Birmingham back up to the championship. There's
01:23no worries about him going anywhere, so what a defensive partnership that could be. And
01:28then Alfie May, a very proven goalscorer at Charleston Athletic. I'm not sure exactly
01:33on the fee, but below £1 million is what we're hearing.
01:35Obviously, you covered a lot of Birmingham City last season. The turmoil with the managers,
01:42all these different tactics and different names every week as well, whether that be
01:46the players and then that manager merry-go-round, as we say, that went on. What do you feel
01:53the main area that needs to change in terms of Blues and what can Chris Davies address
02:00straight away to get those problems straight out there, straight resolved, and they can
02:04go and hopefully have a positive season?
02:07I think it's just that continuity and consistency with tactics. It was just chaotic last season.
02:12For me as a journalist, just covering so many different managers and speaking to so many
02:16different managers was difficult. But imagine being a player in that situation when you've
02:20got all the pressure of potential relegation and then obviously going down on the final
02:24day despite a win. It's just emotional turmoil for so many of them, especially the younger
02:28players who are breaking through and unsure about what's going to happen. But now they've
02:33got a fantastic manager who's ambitious, is committed. He's never had a managerial
02:38role before, so it's not like he's going to jump ship. I think Birmingham are going
02:41to be trusting in him and giving him some patience. Of course, playing against easier
02:45oppositions is going to help as well. Having the strongest squad in the division is going
02:49to help. Just getting that positivity back around the place and building on from the
02:53investment that the new owners have brought in. It should be a positive season and they've
02:57made a good start to the transfer business as well.
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