January Transfer Window Reviews: Birmingham City
Article by Rick Lopez
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Like most other clubs, the January transfer window deadline passed by without any activity for Birmingham City, and as the hype deflated, it all looked a bit silly. Gone are the days of Harry Redknapp driving around London searching for players. Financial Fair Play has arrived. Football has to comply.
For us Blues fans, the main concern was whether Gary Rowett would succeed in his quest to recruit defensive cover after Michael Morrison injured his ankle in the 0-0 draw against Sheffield Wednesday. For the last two games, Blues have had to cope with a 36 year old 5 ft 9 left back and an injury prone right back in the centre of defence, and although these games have wielded two clean sheets, the partnership is not sustainable.
The fact that Blues were left with this earth shattering combination at CB was confounded by the fact that Rowett had let David Edgar and Grant Hall, two centre backs by trade, leave earlier in the window. Hall was surplus to requirements. Edgar wanted to play defensive mid, and was loaned toHuddersfield.
So Gary was left chasing, and he had identified Marcus Nilsson of Swedish Allsvenskan side Kalmar FF as the ideal signing. Sadly, the deal for the 6 ft 4 giant fell through at 8:30 pm, and Blues will again be left with the makeshift pairing of Robinson and Spector when they face Fulham on Saturday. Rowett has reassured fans however, stating that a centre back will definitely be brought in during the loan window, which reopens soon.
One familiar theme of transfer windows past is the departure of talented youth players so owner Carson Yeung can pay for his legal bills. See Nathan Redmond and Jack Butland. This window it was the turn of 18 year old talented winger Demarai Gray to catch the eye. With all Blues fans expecting a sale, it was more a question of when, rather than if, he would be sold. Bournemouth bid 5 times, with their last bid totalling 5 million pounds, and there was rumoured interest from Liverpool and Tottenham. However, all bids were rejected by the club, which demonstrates the increased financial security Blues find themselves in lately, partly because of the sales of the players listed above. The mission now however is to tie Gray to a long term contract, as his deal runs out next summer.
If Rowett was not active in getting players in this window, he didn’t hang around in getting them out. Denny Johnstone, Olly Lee, Neal Eardley, Mark Duffy and David Edgar all left on loan, in a mission to cut down on the wage bill, and to finance new signings. This new signing came in the form of Brummie winger Lloyd Dyer, on loan from Watford, who many fans saw as the replacement for Gray, but will now provide competiton. Many saw Rowett’s act of clearing out the deadwood as a final defiant reminder that the previous reign, and the fear that came with it, is gone.
So the transfer window is over, and Blues can concentrate on the task in hand: trying to achieve a playoff promotion spot. It will be hard, goals will need to be scored, clean sheets kept, games won. In the tide of growing expectation amongst the fans, Rowett and the squad must be strong-willed, determined and driven. Now how about that centre back...
© e-Football 2014 All rights reserved no part of this document or this website may be reproduced without consent of e-Football
Subscribe to our weekly podcast for FREE!
Like most other clubs, the January transfer window deadline passed by without any activity for Birmingham City, and as the hype deflated, it all looked a bit silly. Gone are the days of Harry Redknapp driving around London searching for players. Financial Fair Play has arrived. Football has to comply.
For us Blues fans, the main concern was whether Gary Rowett would succeed in his quest to recruit defensive cover after Michael Morrison injured his ankle in the 0-0 draw against Sheffield Wednesday. For the last two games, Blues have had to cope with a 36 year old 5 ft 9 left back and an injury prone right back in the centre of defence, and although these games have wielded two clean sheets, the partnership is not sustainable.
The fact that Blues were left with this earth shattering combination at CB was confounded by the fact that Rowett had let David Edgar and Grant Hall, two centre backs by trade, leave earlier in the window. Hall was surplus to requirements. Edgar wanted to play defensive mid, and was loaned toHuddersfield.
So Gary was left chasing, and he had identified Marcus Nilsson of Swedish Allsvenskan side Kalmar FF as the ideal signing. Sadly, the deal for the 6 ft 4 giant fell through at 8:30 pm, and Blues will again be left with the makeshift pairing of Robinson and Spector when they face Fulham on Saturday. Rowett has reassured fans however, stating that a centre back will definitely be brought in during the loan window, which reopens soon.
One familiar theme of transfer windows past is the departure of talented youth players so owner Carson Yeung can pay for his legal bills. See Nathan Redmond and Jack Butland. This window it was the turn of 18 year old talented winger Demarai Gray to catch the eye. With all Blues fans expecting a sale, it was more a question of when, rather than if, he would be sold. Bournemouth bid 5 times, with their last bid totalling 5 million pounds, and there was rumoured interest from Liverpool and Tottenham. However, all bids were rejected by the club, which demonstrates the increased financial security Blues find themselves in lately, partly because of the sales of the players listed above. The mission now however is to tie Gray to a long term contract, as his deal runs out next summer.
If Rowett was not active in getting players in this window, he didn’t hang around in getting them out. Denny Johnstone, Olly Lee, Neal Eardley, Mark Duffy and David Edgar all left on loan, in a mission to cut down on the wage bill, and to finance new signings. This new signing came in the form of Brummie winger Lloyd Dyer, on loan from Watford, who many fans saw as the replacement for Gray, but will now provide competiton. Many saw Rowett’s act of clearing out the deadwood as a final defiant reminder that the previous reign, and the fear that came with it, is gone.
So the transfer window is over, and Blues can concentrate on the task in hand: trying to achieve a playoff promotion spot. It will be hard, goals will need to be scored, clean sheets kept, games won. In the tide of growing expectation amongst the fans, Rowett and the squad must be strong-willed, determined and driven. Now how about that centre back...
© e-Football 2014 All rights reserved no part of this document or this website may be reproduced without consent of e-Football
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