I can hardly wait to see what Birmingham City's trophy cabinet looks like on May 3
Birmingham City ended a rollercoaster 2024 with the same result with which they finished 2023 – a 0-0 draw that underwhelmed and frustrated the home faithful. However, the vibe inside St Andrew’s could not be more different.
If there was more rolling in the first six months of the year, there’s been much more coasting in the second, Blues are on track for a return to the Championship and the League One title. Twenty one games played, 15 wins and powering along at an impressive rate, 2025 is promising to be a special year.
I can hardly wait to see what the trophy cabinet looks like on May 3. It would be a major surprise if the League One crown isn’t in it, hopefully sat next to the EFL Trophy, heck let’s have the FA Cup and Grand National too.
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Such dreams were impossible on this day 12 months ago when moribund Blues – then in the Championship – were booed off after drawing 0-0 at home to Bristol City.
It was a dire game, when Wayne Rooney’s side had 36 per cent possession, one shot on target and barely crossed the halfway line. Chris Davies’ 2024 vintage can be frustrating but they are a different proposition to and would almost certainly beat Rooney’s rabble.
Having leaked three goals in each of his previous three matches Rooney sent his side out not to concede against the Robins. The mission creep, from the time he came in promising a better style of football, to scared of their own shadows in a festive home fixture, was sickening.
As his ill-judged tenure entered its death throes, after what turned out to be his final home game in charge of the club, Rooney explained: “I’m not saying we weren’t looking to attack at all. The real priority today was a clean sheet. I sat here after the last game answering questions on what we can do to stop conceding goals, so we have really focussed on that and I’m pleased with that.” That put him in a minority of one and a few days later he was gone.
Twelve months on the feeling around Blues is completely different. St Andrew’s is full, virtually every week, Blues never lose and rarely even draw in front of their own supporters. Blackpool deserve enormous credit for putting in the best display of any visiting team so far this season and even though there were rumbles of dissatisfaction from the home fans at the final whistle, it’s important not to lose sight of the bigger picture.
Davies’ Blues dominate the ball, they keep clean sheets – without sacrificing any form of offensive ambition - and they grind opponents into submission. Something-nil to the Blues is becoming a familiar refrain, overwhelm the opposition, score one or two and apply the sleeper hold to throttle any remaining life.
They failed on a couple of fronts today, they couldn’t find a way through the Seasiders and they were never able to subdue them. That’s rare, only two teams had left with a point and in a busy sequence of games which demand squad rotation, the chances of there being a third increased.
Today’s changes, Taylor Gardner-Hickman at right back, Alfie May playing off Lyndon Dykes and Christophe Klarer as the left centre back, disrupted the rhythm. The loss of Lee Buchanan and Emil Hansson didn't help either.
The set-up looked the same but the machine was clunky. Chalk it up to a bad day at the office but as the New Year rolls in have a look at the league table.
These Blues might not be spectacular, but they’re controlled, they’re professional and they’re highly likely to achieve what they have set out to. In stark contrast to this time last year, the outlook is silver-lined rather than cloudy.
