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