The Blues made some wise moves during the mid-season window, but some obvious flaws still exist.
Ahead of the current campaign, NFL legend Tom Brady became a minority investor and Advisory Board chairman for the Blues. Two months later, Wayne Rooney, an England international icon, replaced John Eustace as the head coach at St. Andrew’s, a decision that turned out to be controversial and ultimately unsuccessful.
Rooney’s brief tenure as Birmingham boss witnessed a loss of control in the team’s form, leading to his dismissal following a New Year’s Day defeat against Leeds United. Subsequently, Tony Mowbray took charge, having recently departed from Sunderland, with the aim of reviving Birmingham’s fortunes.
Despite managerial changes, expectations for significant squad overhauls in the January transfer window were not met, leaving those anticipating wholesale changes somewhat disappointed with the transfer market activity.
Some exciting new recruits by Birmingham but one area failed to be addressed
The January transfer window witnessed a generally subdued activity level for both Premier League and EFL clubs, with many operating under stringent budgets due to financial constraints.
Birmingham, despite a summer takeover by wealthy individual Wagner, faced financial challenges, having incurred a loss of £24.8 million in the financial year ending June 2022. Although accounts for the year ending June 2023 are yet to be published, clubs adhere to a rolling three-year basis where losses must not exceed £39 million during that period.
Given their proximity to this financial threshold, Birmingham refrained from making lavish expenditures in the recent transfer window. All three of their acquisitions were in the midfield department: Sunderland playmaker Alex Pritchard was secured for £100,000, South Korea international midfielder Paik Seung-ho arrived on a free transfer from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, and QPR’s Andre Dozzell joined on loan for the remainder of the season.
Despite financial constraints, the article notes that Birmingham’s midfield now boasts ample depth for the rest of the campaign. The team managed to retain Jordan James, resisting interest from Atalanta, which further bolstered the midfield, even with Krystian Bielik transitioning to a center-back role.
The top end of the field, which isn’t necessarily wide, but Mowbray’s center-forward options aren’t the best, was one place that would have used some updating.
Naturally, Jay Stansfield has had a significant impact since joining on loan from Fulham, but there isn’t much optimism surrounding his backup choices.
The backup options for Stansfield include Scott Hogan and Lukas Jutkiewicz, both of whom are over the age of 30 and appear to be past their prime.
Jutkiewicz, who has been with the Blues for nearly eight years, is approaching the end of his contract this summer. At 34 years old, the striker may have limited time left to make a significant impact.
Similarly, Hogan, despite scoring 10 Championship goals in the previous season, has faced difficulties in the 2023-24 campaign. With just one goal in 18 appearances, the 30-year-old forward has encountered a challenging season. Although there were rumors linking him to a move to Sheffield Wednesday, nothing materialized in the end.
Birmingham’s lack of new striker could see end of season struggle
Given that the two have scored three league goals each in this year’s Championship, it’s understandable why Birmingham fans have been demanding more competition for Stansfield during the last month.
The statistics indicate that Hogan and Jutkiewicz have had minimal impact during their time on the pitch. However, it can be argued that Jutkiewicz, despite limited statistical contribution, brings a strong physical and aerial presence, which can be valuable when the team is chasing a match or trying to maintain a lead. His attributes may go beyond statistical measures and contribute to the team’s performance in specific situations.
If overall results do not improve under Mowbray, the lack of another clinical striker to rotate with Stansfield might become a focal point for why the Blues find themselves in a relegation battle.
While Mowbray likely desired to secure a new center-forward during the transfer window, budget constraints required careful financial management. The inability to offload at least one of the current strikers before their contracts expire in the summer has presented a significant obstacle to Mowbray’s short-term aspirations. The constraints in the transfer market and the challenge of managing the budget have limited the options for bringing in a new, potentially more impactful, center-forward.
There’s no denying that Birmingham is currently embroiled in a relegation battle, with the gap to the drop zone standing at just four points. With only one win in their last eight league matches, the Blues are facing a critical juncture and must make a significant turnaround to secure their position in the league. Given time, Mowbray has the potential to orchestrate such a transformation and guide Birmingham out of the relegation struggle.
Even though Birmingham’s midfield is now full with creative players, there is still a clear weakness, and if the unimaginable occurs and relegation becomes a reality, supporters will be furious and disappointed that their front line wasn’t strengthened.
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