00:00In the wake of Nighthead Capital's takeover at St. Andrews, Birmingham City experienced both turbulence and transformation.
00:09The surprise appointment of Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney as head coach in October 2023 only lasted 83 days, ending in January 2024.
00:21That failed experiment coincided with relegation from the Championship, leaving the club at a low point.
00:27Despite the optimism surrounding new ownership, the turning point came with the arrival of Chris Davis.
00:35Tasked with leading the club back up, Davis delivered an extraordinary 2024-25 campaign, steering Birmingham to the League One title with a record-breaking 111 points and fending off the challenges of Wrexham.
00:49His achievement was recognised with the League One Manager of the Season award, underlying his impact in his first full year as a No. 1.
00:59Off the pitch, Birmingham have worked to expand their profile.
01:03A new Amazon Prime video documentary captured the drama of Rooney and the reset under Davis.
01:10Talks persist that the owners may eventually look to recruit another household name in a high-profile role, but for now their faith is in Davis unquestioned.
01:21Former Blues striker Cameron Jerome believes lessons have been learned.
01:26Reflecting on Rooney's brief tenure, he said,
01:28When you are putting money in, you want full control of who you are bringing into the football club.
01:35Perhaps they realised this wasn't working and reset with a bright young manager, who went out and achieved promotion emphatically.
01:44Jerome also pointed to the comparisons with Wrexham, noting that while their story is a fairy tale,
01:50Birmingham's model is to build to kick on and improve with greater sustainability.
01:54Blues had an unbeaten start to the 2025-26 season, collecting seven points in three games and playing with the assurance of a team intent on pushing higher.
02:07Another October trip to Wrexham is set to reignite one of football's most intriguing new rivalries.
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