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Reflecting on Birmingham City’s standout League One campaign
National World - LocalTV
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02/05/2025
A look at how things have gone down at BCFC.
Category
🥇
Sports
Transcript
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00:00
Charlie, on Birmingham City, let's just touch on Chris Davis.
00:04
Now, obviously, you know, across the campaign,
00:06
we've mentioned their incredible job, Blues and the investment, etc.
00:10
But they still had to go and complete the job.
00:13
Chris Davis has come in his first managerial job, you know,
00:16
and then he wins League One Manager of the Year, deservedly so.
00:20
New League One points record as well, beating their neighbours Wolves to that record.
00:25
Obviously, he didn't go to plan in the Virtue Trophy final,
00:27
but just as a whole, a League One season, you know,
00:31
we mentioned before, you know, very, very start of the season that it could,
00:34
this is exactly how they wanted it to go.
00:36
And it has panned out to pretty much perfection.
00:39
How impressive with Chris Davis have you been and him galvanising this group
00:43
and believing in a project for the future?
00:46
Been very impressed.
00:47
I think it's difficult to come in as your first manager's job
00:50
with so much pressure on your shoulders.
00:52
And the football club didn't help with the levels of pressure,
00:55
with the amount of money they spent.
00:56
And so that helped Davies in the long run with having a better squad to deal with
01:00
and having a likelier, be likelier to get promoted and to win the League One title.
01:05
But it did bring that added pressure and weight on his shoulders.
01:09
I think he's dealt with that really well.
01:11
He's kept level-headed throughout.
01:12
He's focused on the basics first.
01:14
First and foremost, making his team the fittest in League One
01:18
was one of his big demands at the start of the season.
01:21
He wanted to make sure he had two players in each position capable of stepping up
01:26
if there were injuries taking hold at any point, which at that point they did.
01:30
The likes of Tomoki Iwata, Pei Singho, unavailable Lieber Cannon as well,
01:34
having some serious injuries at left back.
01:36
Even Jay Stansfield out for a little patch.
01:38
Lyndon Dykes, Alfie May, etc.
01:40
Some key players getting injured, and that was anticipated by Chris Davies
01:44
in the transfer window.
01:46
And also just the way he's kept them motivated when they look destined to win the title,
01:51
look destined for promotion.
01:52
He made sure that every single week, every single day in training,
01:55
that they were staying dedicated to the course.
01:57
They weren't letting anything slip.
01:59
That's just very impressive, I think, motivation-wise,
02:02
just to keep that level going so, so consistently throughout such a long season.
02:07
And to go and break the League One points record, I mean,
02:10
are there many better achievements in the EFL from a manager's first ever season as a manager?
02:15
I'm not too sure.
02:16
Really, truly remarkable what he's done in the football club,
02:19
and it's exciting to see what he can do in the championship.
02:22
Yeah, just on the championship, obviously, you know, a lot of clubs,
02:25
even just to tread water, have to spend millions every campaign.
02:29
And, you know, there's no secret that investment does get you far in today's game.
02:34
But in terms of their summer, how do they approach the championship?
02:38
How do you see them going about their spending?
02:41
Because, you know, with them and Wrexham as well,
02:44
obviously joining them with promotion, you know, these owner situations,
02:47
it could affect them in terms of they've got to be a bit more careful
02:51
in the championship next season and to ensure that they are, you know,
02:55
keeping within compliance and, you know,
02:58
really going for what could be a fantastic season for them.
03:01
Absolutely. I think the investment will continue in the summer,
03:05
potentially a new striker.
03:07
I know that Alfie May played fantastically in League One at times,
03:10
maybe a little bit inconsistent this season,
03:12
but probably not strong enough to be in the championship week in, week out.
03:17
The same could probably be said for Lyndon Dykes as well,
03:19
though he's had lots of injury problems.
03:20
We've not quite seen the best of him just yet.
03:23
You might be thinking, what about Jay Stansfield?
03:25
But I think he plays quite well as a number 10 or just wide off the left or right,
03:29
or maybe even a two-striker formation if Chris Davies wants to switch things up.
03:33
Maybe an attacking midfielder as well.
03:35
Willem Willemsen has had patches of form,
03:38
actually recently been playing very well,
03:40
but at the turn of the year had two or three months where he really struggled for his form.
03:44
Maybe they could find someone who could compete with him.
03:48
I think in the wide areas as well,
03:50
there's been talk of Peterborough United's Kwame Poku
03:52
to add a little bit more pace and flair at attack.
03:54
So the investment will probably happen and they've got the money to do it.
03:58
A couple of months ago,
03:59
I didn't think it'd be possible to spend as they did in League One again in this summer.
04:04
But it turns out, as per the owner, Tom Wagner,
04:07
that they're going to have one of the best revenues in the entire championship
04:11
behind the teams that have been recently relegated from the Premier League anyway.
04:15
Blues will be able to match those in the playoff fight.
04:18
So I think they can go on and spend not as much as they want,
04:22
but a decent chunk again and make sure that they are ready to get promoted in the next couple of years.
04:27
Yeah, just looking at the player ratings throughout the season,
04:30
there's so many above seven, which is unbelievable across an entire campaign.
04:35
Who do you feel is the player of the season for Blues
04:38
or a standout player that maybe fans will go towards?
04:41
Or, you know, just that you've really been impressed every time that you've watched them?
04:45
Because, I mean, throughout the side, there seems like the consistency levels,
04:49
you know, to produce, you know, winning mentality, winning attitude every week,
04:54
you know, Saturday, Tuesday as well,
04:56
at the very height of it has been incredibly impressive from Davies' side.
05:01
Yeah, there are two names that spring to mind immediately for me.
05:04
The first one, Tomoki Iwata in midfield, signing from Celtic.
05:09
A lot of talk in Scotland as he got the capability to perform at the highest level consistently.
05:14
He's absolutely done that for Chris Davies in midfield.
05:17
In that midfield double pivot, alongside Paik Sung-ho or Malk Leonard,
05:21
whatever's been preferred at the time, typically Paik, Iwata has really shone through.
05:26
He scored some important goals as well, many of which have been outside the box,
05:29
some very memorable moments there.
05:31
He's an absolute stunner against Newcastle United in the FA Cup.
05:35
He's just such an important player, not just his goal scoring,
05:38
but his overall play in midfield, helping dictate possession, playing one-twos,
05:42
his awareness, he also breaks up the play.
05:44
I'm excited to see how he can do in the championship.
05:47
But probably just above him is Christoph Clara, the centre-back,
05:51
who is the vice-captain, but he's worn the armband so often.
05:55
He's kept Christian Bielek out of the team, as has Ben Davies alongside Clara.
05:59
Clara would, I think, head a brick.
06:02
I asked him at Wrexham away earlier in the season whether he would do that,
06:06
and he said he absolutely would and he'd do anything for this team
06:08
and his football club and that he's committed to the project.
06:11
You've got to remember as well, he left the German Bundesliga to go to League One.
06:15
It was a massive risk he took, but it seems as if it's paid off,
06:18
as he's now a big fan favourite at St Andrews.
06:20
So, let's go.
06:21
Let's go.
06:22
Let's go.
06:23
Let's go.
06:24
Let's go.
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