SHA Small Heath Alliance

In a very special extra episode of Thoughts On The Blues, Simon Brew invites the brilliant Ryan Deeney for a chat about Birmingham City's season. Relive all the highlights! The dribbling defeat to Derby. The Millwall away performance. The sorrows. But also! The wins! The hope! The unsung heroes! And

Ryan finding the quotes from Davies from a few weeks back and then another one from July 2025 saying there wasnt really a plan in our transfer business is interesting.

It’s fact

Its also absolutely piss poor all round.

No clue, no strategy, no focus. Thats on the coach and above. They are all culpable.

It's an excellent watch and I'm afraid that if Knighthead were to view this then Craig Gardners Team are very much culpable and at risk
My other take from watching it was Chris Davies lack of clarity of thought probably down to his lack of experience

BigBarryBoozer

Its also absolutely piss poor all round.

No clue, no strategy, no focus. Thats on the coach and above. They are all culpable.

Really hard to fathom if true. What transpired does bear it out though.

I also suspect much as I supported CD, that there was a certain snobbery which he influenced against your typical stock big powerful number 9 as if that approach wasn't sophisticated enough for his team.

I hope come next season we have learnt and that we have 2 of them as part of our striking options.

Big one-Little one has always generally worked over the years.

BigBarryBoozer

Ryan finding the quotes from Davies from a few weeks back and then another one from July 2025 saying there wasnt really a plan in our transfer business is interesting.

“There’s not been too much strategy behind that other than whether they are the right player,” says Davies. “We always look at their value and how that’s going to increase or decrease over time and weigh that all up but I think experience counts for a lot in this game.

“I found it last season, I relied on experienced players. When Grant Hanley and Kieran Dowell came in in January I thought both of them had great influence. Especially when there’s such expectation at a club, you need cool heads on the pitch and people that can deal with it at big clubs.”


From in here: [www.google.com]

Even if there is additional context to it, it's certainly something that sticks out once repeated at the end of the season.

Reminds me of when Southampton came down and Russell Martin went on MNF explaining that they were taken aback by recruitment and strength of the league. While Martin hadn't managed / played there in a while, Saints as a club had been there.

Davies (and Martin) come out with fault but somebody had to be standing up and pushing for something different based on experience.

I saw an interview with the Peterborough chairman bloke a while back and he said when they got promoted in 21/22 ( i think) that they knew the championship was going to be bigger faster more physical etc , but they were taken aback about it all even expecting it , i suppose it's one thing thinking you know and another when you really find out