Birmingham City were crowned deserved winners of League One this season, securing a record points total in the process. However, the nature of their success could be an issue in the Championship.
The Blues were relegated from the Championship after a disastrous campaign that had the club’s management heading back to the drawing board.
They invested heavily, something which they have been criticised for by many fans of opposition clubs. However, if you have the resources and the ability to outspend your opponents why wouldn’t you? It could even be argued that the club have taken League One more seriously than many of the relegated sides before them. Several sides have been guilty in the past of expecting promotion whilst still fielding the core of the side that got them relegated. Birmingham City did not do this, they flexed their muscles and it paid off.
We Don’t Know How Strong Birmingham City Are
The real test for Birmingham City starts in the summer. They won League One with ease, barely having to accelerate from a light jog away from the sides behind them.
This could be an issue next year. This team and Chris Davies have yet to face any real adversities. Yes, they lost to Shrewsbury Town, yes they lost the EFL Trophy final to Peterborough United, but right now we don’t know how strong this Blues side are.
Next season they will be faced with sides with budgets as high as theirs, with parachute payments and wealthy owners chasing the Premier League riches extending the gap between League One and the Championship. There will also be better squads, filled with former Premier League players and top second tier talent, whilst battling to outwit some of the best managers in the country.
The difference between League One and the Championship is huge.
Birmingham City Lulled into a False Sense of Security
There are indications that the club are going to continue their spending. Their pursuit of Kwame Poku could end in the first of many through the door over the summer.
Many of the players that have joined over their League One campaign are Championship ready, but the question is… is the squad?
There are gaps and weaknesses in this Birmingham City side, ones that the majority of third tier clubs were not able to exploit. The kind that Championship managers relish. Chris Davies is inexperienced still, and he could be tempted into thinking that what worked last season could work next season as could the board. There have been a few questionable decisions as he has attempted to navigate his first full season in charge, but when you have one of the best strikers in the league sat on the bench and players that would walk into any other team in the division they tend to hide many of these issues.
However, credit must be given for dealing with such a talent filled squad whilst managing their game time and happiness effectively.
Why change a winning formula?
Change isn’t the answer, but progression. The Blues will not be getting record points in the Championship, which means they will likely face periods of poor form or difficulty. That is when we will know how good this Birmingham City side are. They are used to winning, how will they cope with adversity.
The step up in intensity, in every game over a full 46 game season can really take it out of a team. Especially when you’ve got used to rolling over the opposition every week in League One.
To use an analogy, they have been the big fish in a small pond, let’s see if Davies has the ability and adaptability needed to succeed in the bigger pond. The board, the manager, the players and the fans all need to prepare for and adapt to life back in the Championship and not think they’ve already made it.
Although Wolverhampton Wanderers did finish 7th in the Championship after achieving record points in League One (in a very different landscape). So it is not unreasonable to back Birmingham City to do well.