Reflecting on Birmingham City’s standout League One campaign

National World - LocalTV

A look at how things have gone down at BCFC.

Transcript

00:00Charlie, on Birmingham City, let's just touch on Chris Davis.

00:04Now, obviously, you know, across the campaign,

00:06we've mentioned their incredible job, Blues and the investment, etc.

00:10But they still had to go and complete the job.

00:13Chris Davis has come in his first managerial job, you know,

00:16and then he wins League One Manager of the Year, deservedly so.

00:20New League One points record as well, beating their neighbours Wolves to that record.

00:25Obviously, he didn't go to plan in the Virtue Trophy final,

00:27but just as a whole, a League One season, you know,

00:31we mentioned before, you know, very, very start of the season that it could,

00:34this is exactly how they wanted it to go.

00:36And it has panned out to pretty much perfection.

00:39How impressive with Chris Davis have you been and him galvanising this group

00:43and believing in a project for the future?

00:46Been very impressed.

00:47I think it's difficult to come in as your first manager's job

00:50with so much pressure on your shoulders.

00:52And the football club didn't help with the levels of pressure,

00:55with the amount of money they spent.

00:56And so that helped Davies in the long run with having a better squad to deal with

01:00and having a likelier, be likelier to get promoted and to win the League One title.

01:05But it did bring that added pressure and weight on his shoulders.

01:09I think he's dealt with that really well.

01:11He's kept level-headed throughout.

01:12He's focused on the basics first.

01:14First and foremost, making his team the fittest in League One

01:18was one of his big demands at the start of the season.

01:21He wanted to make sure he had two players in each position capable of stepping up

01:26if there were injuries taking hold at any point, which at that point they did.

01:30The likes of Tomoki Iwata, Pei Singho, unavailable Lieber Cannon as well,

01:34having some serious injuries at left back.

01:36Even Jay Stansfield out for a little patch.

01:38Lyndon Dykes, Alfie May, etc.

01:40Some key players getting injured, and that was anticipated by Chris Davies

01:44in the transfer window.

01:46And also just the way he's kept them motivated when they look destined to win the title,

01:51look destined for promotion.

01:52He made sure that every single week, every single day in training,

01:55that they were staying dedicated to the course.

01:57They weren't letting anything slip.

01:59That's just very impressive, I think, motivation-wise,

02:02just to keep that level going so, so consistently throughout such a long season.

02:07And to go and break the League One points record, I mean,

02:10are there many better achievements in the EFL from a manager's first ever season as a manager?

02:15I'm not too sure.

02:16Really, truly remarkable what he's done in the football club,

02:19and it's exciting to see what he can do in the championship.

02:22Yeah, just on the championship, obviously, you know, a lot of clubs,

02:25even just to tread water, have to spend millions every campaign.

02:29And, you know, there's no secret that investment does get you far in today's game.

02:34But in terms of their summer, how do they approach the championship?

02:38How do you see them going about their spending?

02:41Because, you know, with them and Wrexham as well,

02:44obviously joining them with promotion, you know, these owner situations,

02:47it could affect them in terms of they've got to be a bit more careful

02:51in the championship next season and to ensure that they are, you know,

02:55keeping within compliance and, you know,

02:58really going for what could be a fantastic season for them.

03:01Absolutely. I think the investment will continue in the summer,

03:05potentially a new striker.

03:07I know that Alfie May played fantastically in League One at times,

03:10maybe a little bit inconsistent this season,

03:12but probably not strong enough to be in the championship week in, week out.

03:17The same could probably be said for Lyndon Dykes as well,

03:19though he's had lots of injury problems.

03:20We've not quite seen the best of him just yet.

03:23You might be thinking, what about Jay Stansfield?

03:25But I think he plays quite well as a number 10 or just wide off the left or right,

03:29or maybe even a two-striker formation if Chris Davies wants to switch things up.

03:33Maybe an attacking midfielder as well.

03:35Willem Willemsen has had patches of form,

03:38actually recently been playing very well,

03:40but at the turn of the year had two or three months where he really struggled for his form.

03:44Maybe they could find someone who could compete with him.

03:48I think in the wide areas as well,

03:50there's been talk of Peterborough United's Kwame Poku

03:52to add a little bit more pace and flair at attack.

03:54So the investment will probably happen and they've got the money to do it.

03:58A couple of months ago,

03:59I didn't think it'd be possible to spend as they did in League One again in this summer.

04:04But it turns out, as per the owner, Tom Wagner,

04:07that they're going to have one of the best revenues in the entire championship

04:11behind the teams that have been recently relegated from the Premier League anyway.

04:15Blues will be able to match those in the playoff fight.

04:18So I think they can go on and spend not as much as they want,

04:22but a decent chunk again and make sure that they are ready to get promoted in the next couple of years.

04:27Yeah, just looking at the player ratings throughout the season,

04:30there's so many above seven, which is unbelievable across an entire campaign.

04:35Who do you feel is the player of the season for Blues

04:38or a standout player that maybe fans will go towards?

04:41Or, you know, just that you've really been impressed every time that you've watched them?

04:45Because, I mean, throughout the side, there seems like the consistency levels,

04:49you know, to produce, you know, winning mentality, winning attitude every week,

04:54you know, Saturday, Tuesday as well,

04:56at the very height of it has been incredibly impressive from Davies' side.

05:01Yeah, there are two names that spring to mind immediately for me.

05:04The first one, Tomoki Iwata in midfield, signing from Celtic.

05:09A lot of talk in Scotland as he got the capability to perform at the highest level consistently.

05:14He's absolutely done that for Chris Davies in midfield.

05:17In that midfield double pivot, alongside Paik Sung-ho or Malk Leonard,

05:21whatever's been preferred at the time, typically Paik, Iwata has really shone through.

05:26He scored some important goals as well, many of which have been outside the box,

05:29some very memorable moments there.

05:31He's an absolute stunner against Newcastle United in the FA Cup.

05:35He's just such an important player, not just his goal scoring,

05:38but his overall play in midfield, helping dictate possession, playing one-twos,

05:42his awareness, he also breaks up the play.

05:44I'm excited to see how he can do in the championship.

05:47But probably just above him is Christoph Clara, the centre-back,

05:51who is the vice-captain, but he's worn the armband so often.

05:55He's kept Christian Bielek out of the team, as has Ben Davies alongside Clara.

05:59Clara would, I think, head a brick.

06:02I asked him at Wrexham away earlier in the season whether he would do that,

06:06and he said he absolutely would and he'd do anything for this team

06:08and his football club and that he's committed to the project.

06:11You've got to remember as well, he left the German Bundesliga to go to League One.

06:15It was a massive risk he took, but it seems as if it's paid off,

06:18as he's now a big fan favourite at St Andrews.

06:20So, let's go.

06:21Let's go.

06:22Let's go.

06:23Let's go.

06:24Let's go.

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