Following years of mismanagement, the club now has a palpable positive vibe thanks to the current ownership’s drive.
It was a few days after Birmingham City’s relegation from the Championship had been confirmed and Garry Cook, the club’s chief executive, was in bullish mood.
“The comeback is always better than the setback,” said Cook, speaking in front of supporters at the end of season awards held at the International Convention Centre.
That defiant stance has epitomised Birmingham’s positive mindset since dropping into League One for the first time since the 1994/95 season.
Whereas most relegated clubs are in a state of crisis, with disillusioned fans and weakened squads, the feelgood factor at Blues is tangible.
Last season already feels like a lifetime ago. In October the club’s American ownership, Knighthead, were heavily criticised after the sacking of John Eustace and subsequent appointment of Wayne Rooney.
Now in charge at Plymouth Argyle, Rooney was dismissed in January by Birmingham after nine defeats in 15 matches and the club never truly recovered.
With the new season days away, Birmingham have already made a huge statement of intent over their ambitions.
They are the biggest spenders ever in League One: nine new signings have arrived so far (as of August 4), with the outlay on transfer fees believed to be over £10 million.
It is a recruitment drive unprecedented at this level, with their financial muscle – including revenue streams and sponsorship deals – dwarfing the majority of the Championship outside of the parachute payment clubs.
New recruits such as defender Christoph Klarer, forward Alfie May and midfielder Marc Leonard all had offers from clubs in higher divisions yet opted to join the Birmingham revolution.
A top target all summer has been Fulham’s Jay Stansfield, who swept the board at the player of the year awards last season after scoring 13 goals on loan. Stansfield will cost up to £6 million and, if a deal is completed, will represent another huge statement. Talks with Fulham are understood to be ongoing.
Birmingham’s transfer policy is to recruit players capable of performing in League One and also good enough for the second tier in the event of promotion.
After four permanent managers last season, there is now a highly regarded new head coach in Chris Davies who was appointed on June 6.
‘We’re going to be a scalp for every team in the league’
Davies has never been a No. 1 before but is already established as an excellent coach, working under both Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou.
The 39-year-old secured the job amid an extensive appointment process in which Birmingham’s board interviewed at least 40 other candidates.
Focused and demanding, Davies knows the only remit is promotion this season. Birmingham want him to be their own version of Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna.
“It’s been a difficult few years for Birmingham and the fans have had to suffer, but we want to create a team they can be proud of and really look forward to watching,” says Davies.
“We’re all going to be pretty clear that we’re going to be a scalp for every team in the league because of the size of the club.
“I want us to be successful with the right characters. We are trying to create a culture and anyone who comes here will be committed.”
