There was a lot of love for big money Birmingham in the summer season previews, but as it stands Blues are midtable and eight off the play-offs, so is this just natural progression, growing pains, or a more serious issue? We asked Matt Elliott (@MatthewBlue1975).

How’s the season been?

Full of false dawns, disappointment and despair.

Lots of pre-season optimism for a promotion push, hasn’t quite materialised (yet), has it been tougher going than expected?

Yeah, I think that goes without saying to be honest. I think the combination of last season’s success at canter, money spent and a vocal ownership had a lot of people think the club would in the promotion mix. We lost momentum from the off by losing a lot of the promotion squad. High squad turnover, meaning it was taking time for players to settle and gel. There have quietly been some falling out behind the scenes. Questionable recruitment. Questionable coaching. Lack of bravery, character and experience... There are multiple reasons for it not working out, but rightly or wrongly it will ultimately fall at the feet of the manager.

Blues in the league so far…
Birmingham 1-1 Ipswich Stansfield 55 – Hirst pen 90
Blackburn 1-2 Birmingham Cantwell 50 – Dykes 90, Stansfield pen 90
Birmingham 1-0 Oxford Seung-Ho 40
Leicester 2-0 Birmingham Fatawu 8, Pereira 88
Stoke 1-0 Birmingham Lawal 21
Birmingham 1-0 Swansea Dykes 90
Coventry 3-0 Birmingham Thomas-Asante 16, Osayi-Samuel og 49, Torp 78
Birmingham 2-2 Sheff Wed Stansfield 9, Gray 90 – Lowe 37, Brown 76
Wrexham 1-1 Birmingham Dobson 13 – Roberts 46
Birmingham 2-3 Hull Stansfield 27, pen 90 – Robinson og 11, Slater 45, Gelhardt 90
Preston 0-1 Birmingham Neumann 33
Bristol City 1-0 Birmingham Armstrong 42
Birmingham 4-0 Pompey Seung-Ho 9, Iwata 56, Klarer 61, Anderson 88
Birmingham 4-0 Millwall Seung-Ho 28, Gray 45, Cochrane 49, Stansfield 66
Boro 2-1 Birmingham Fry 17, Hackney 45 – Gray 29
Birmingham 4-1 Norwich Ducksch 3, 44, Stansfield 21, 54 – Kvistgaarden 33
West Brom 1-1 Birmingham Mowatt 12 – Ducksch 78
Birmingham 2-1 Watford Seung-Ho 31, Gray 43 – Maamma 61
Southampton 3-1 Birmingham Azaz 6, Armstrong 24, 58 – Gray 54
QPR 2-1 Birmingham Dunne 40, Morgan 90 – Roberts 90
Birmingham 1-1 Charlton Klarer 28 – Campbell 67
Sheff Utd 3-0 Birmingham Bindon 5, Hamer 28, Bamford 51
Birmingham 1-1 Derby Robinson 64 – Agyemang 27
Birmingham 1-1 Southampton Neumann 49 – Archer 71
Watford 3-0 Birmingham Ince 9, 38, 60
Birmingham 3-2 Coventry Ducksch 6, 63, Joumas 17 – Eccles 8, Simms 60
Swansea 1-1 Birmingham Vipotnik 21 – Roberts 72
Sheff Wed 0-2 Birmingham Ducksch 83, Furuhashi 90
Birmingham 1-1 Stoke Iwata 42 – Neumann og 71
Oxford 0-2 Birmingham Peart-Harris og 23, Ducksch 66
Birmingham 2-1 Leicester Osman 3, Stansfield 67 – Fatawu 21
Birmingham 0-0 West Brom
Norwich 1-2 Birmingham McLean 67 – Vicente 5, Ducksch 14
Millwall 3-0 Birmingham Azeez 25, Crama 31, Cooper 49
Birmingham 1-3 Boro Ducksch 48 – Targett 13, 26, Strelec 60
Charlton 1-0 Birmingham Kelman 74

Why the big disparity between your home (8-7-2) and away (5-3-11) form?

It's a really good question and one I don't have an answer to. We are far more comfortable and braver playing at home, but even that has fallen away recently. We maybe lack a bit of leadership, character and suffer from a soft underbelly. Lack of battle-tested Championship nous in the squad probably plays a part, when it comes to away games.

Performance of Chris Davies, how’s he doing?

It's worth remembering that he's just 40 years old and this is his first management role which he's been in for around 20 months. He is a good coach and will go on to be a very, very good coach who I firmly believe will manage at a higher level, but he's a novice and he's still learning. Problem is, I worry he's not learning quick enough though. Knighthead are in a hurry to get promoted, the fanbase are aware of this, meaning there's a sense of impatience amongst a portion of us. I'm still backing him and I hope he has a strong finish to the season, so he gets to carry on and give it a go next season. As it stands right now, I think he'll be replaced in the summer.

What was done in January, and what was left undone?

We needed physicality, height and pace. We needed a CM, CB, wingers and a forward. We got everything we pretty much wanted. Four players with no experience of the league though and I think we definitely could have done with some experience in that respect.

Summer Ins >>> Kyogo Furuhashi, 30, CF, Stade Rennais, £8m >>> Marvin Ducksch, 31, CF, Bremen, £1.5m >>> Taylor Gardner-Hickman, 23, RB, Bristol City, £1.5m >>> Bright Osayi-Samuel, 27, RB, Fenerbahce, Free >>> Kanya Fujimoto, 26, AM, Gil Vicente, Free >>> Demarai Gray, 29, LW, Al-Ettifaq, Free >>> Phil Neumann, 27, CB, Hannover, Free >>> Alfons Sampsted, 27, RB, Twente, £1.4m >>> Jack Robinson, 32, LCB, Sheff Utd, £150k >>> >>> Tommy Doyle, 23, CM, Wolves, Loan >>> Eiran Cashin, 23, CB, Brighton, Loan >>> James Beadle, 20, GK, Brighton, Loan >>> Patrick Roberts, 28, RW, Sunderland, Loan >>> Lewis Koumas, 19, LW, Liverpool, Loan

Winter Outs >>> William Thor Willumsson, 27, AM, Nijmegen, £1m >>> Dion Sanderson, 26, CB, Derby, £300k >>> Alfons Sapsted, 27, RB, Go Ahead Eagles, £200k >>> Lyndon Dykes, 30, CF, Charlton, £100k >>> Tyler Roberts, 27, AM, Mansfield, £50k >>> Bailey Peacock-Farrell 29, GK, Blackpool, £50k >>> Emil Hansson, 27, LW, Excelsior, Free >>> Keshi Anderson, 30, LW, Portsmouth, Free >>> Scott Wright, 28, RW, Dundee, Loan >>> Marc Leonard, 24, CM, Hearts, Loan

Player of the year candidates?

I'm struggling here. I've been less impressed with him recently, but maybe Christophe Klarer. Demarai Gray would've been in with a shout had he not missed a chunk of games through injury. Possibly Patrick Roberts. It's honestly really hard to point out someone that has been consistently good.

Weak links?

Again, this isn't easy. Not because we don’t have any, but because collectively we've just been really poor the last few games. We look quite ropey at the back, we don't move the ball quick enough, we lack creativity in the final third... take your pick.

How do you see the rest of the season going?

I don't see it getting much better to be honest. Playoffs are off the table now, so it should be case of trying to finish the season as strongly as possible, but I'm not convinced we have the character in the squad to regain any momentum. I can maybe see us going on a little decent run again, but ultimately our away form will end any hope that gives us.

Links >>> Birmingham City official website >>> St Andrew’s — Ground Guide >>> Small Heath Alliance — Message Board >>> We Are Birmingham — Podcast >>> Birmingham Mail — Local Press

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