Everyone associated with Birmingham City will be hoping that 2025 is the year they triumphantly return to the Championship, with the demoralising relegation down to the third tier acting as a major wake-up call for those at St. Andrew’s to start afresh.
Chris Davies is now in the hot seat for the Blues and is doing a competent job at the moment, helped by lots of cash being thrown at the squad to make that instant return up a league a reality, with the sleeping giants in and around the promotion spots in League One.
Still, he will want more from his troops who have shown chinks in their armour as of late, with a shock 3-2 defeat to Shrewsbury Town in November a reminder that teams in the tricky division won’t just roll over for Birmingham to pick up routine victories.
January will act as a crucial month for Birmingham to flex their muscles once more in the transfer market, with a couple of incomings no doubt on their mind as games become tenser near the summit of the league, in order to add in even more quality.
Here is what their dream lineup could look after that hectic month has come and gone, with a new £3.4m recruit potentially entering the building…
1 GK – Ryan Allsop
Ryan Allsop is likely to retain his spot in-between the sticks for Birmingham past the transfer window, having recently taken over duties of being the club’s number one goalkeeper from Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
From his eight league contests, Allsop has kept an encouraging three clean sheets, with Davies hopeful more will come his way as the season drags on.
2 RB – Ethan Laird
Ethan Laird will also feel he’s worthy of keeping his first-team spot at right-back moving forward, having impressed when thrown into action this season in League One.
Laird has won a stunning 6.3 duels on average when playing and will want to make this position in the team even more his own as a frantic 2025 comes into view.
3 CB – Christoph Klarer
Christoph Klarer begins in the centre-back spots and rightly so, with the towering Austrian a revelation at the back for Davies’ men ever since leaving Germany behind this summer for new English shores.
His importance at the back as a cool customer was exemplified in Birmingham’s last win in the league versus Exeter City, with 82 touches of the ball amassed, alongside also imposing himself onto the game with four duels successfully won.
4 CB – Phil Neumann
He could be joined by another recruit from the German leagues in the form of Phil Neumann, with Birmingham reportedly interested in the Hannover 96 star this summer but to no avail.
They could go back in for Neumann this January, which could result in Krystian Bielik shockingly dropping out of the first team fold, with the potential £3.4m purchase not acquired to warm the substitutes bench.
He has very much impressed in the 2. Bundesliga for his current employers too, accumulating six clean sheets across his 14 displays in the league.
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5 LB – Alex Cochrane
Finishing the back four is former Heart of Midlothian defender Alex Cochrane, who has shone in spurts for the League One titans this season to date.
He also stood out versus Exeter last time out, with two key passes tallied up as a left-back not afraid to join in with attacks, alongside also making five interceptions to preserve his team’s clean sheet.
6 CM – Seung-Ho Paik
The first central midfield spot in the side is occupied by South Korean gem Seung-Ho Paik, who is yet to miss a league game for Davies’ men since making the drop down.
He’ll hope he keeps this up versus Stockport County later on, as his side hunt down their 11th win of the campaign to date.
7 CM – Tomoki Iwata
Much like his teammate next to him, Tomoki Iwata has turned into a real fan’s favourite at St. Andrew’s this season.
The ex-Celtic man has stunned supporters with some stylish displays from the middle of the park, alongside chipping in with five goals and an assist.
If Birmingham amazingly miss out on an instant jump back up to the Championship, expect a whole host of suitors to be eyeing up the confident Blues number 24.
8 RM – Sontje Hansen
The other bit of business Birmingham should explore – away from strengthening at the back – could be to go after a former target in Sontje Hansen down the right wing, as Davies goes about making his side even more eye-catching in the attacking areas.
Birmingham have had lots of success shopping in Holland, with the NEC Nijmegen winger – who has been hailed as “special” by former Netherlands U17 coach Peter van der Veen – needing to be back on their radar, having bagged four goals in Eredivisie action this season.
9 CAM – Jay Stansfield
Birmingham fans must have found the whole transfer saga involving Jay Stansfield rather surreal, especially when the money-rich Blues managed to convince him to return on a permanent basis.
He has shone for Davies’ promotion-chasers since his return, with a brace managed on his second debut against Wrexham bedding himself back in nicely to his familiar location.
Since then, the smooth former Fulham attacker has helped himself to another five league strikes, as he strives to be a key performer in the crunch months to come to ensure promotion is reached.
10 LM – Willum Thor Willumsson
Alongside Stansfield, Willum Thor Willumsson has equally been an important source of goals and assists.
The tall Icelandic winger is amazingly matching Stansfield’s output, with four goals and four assists next to his teammate’s haul of eight, and he will hope he can play a starring role in another win being picked up tonight.