Birmingham City have been made to pay for failing to take action in January

Birmingham City’s midweek defeat to Middlesbrough left them just one point and one place above the relegation zone with nine games remaining.

When Tom Wagner and his friends bought Blues last year, they could not have predicted that the team would struggle to avoid relegation to League One in their first full season.

However, this is exactly what is occurring, and the owners are under intense scrutiny for making the daring decision to replace John Eustace with Wayne Rooney.

The England veteran inherited a side in contention for the play-offs, but a terrible few months saw them slip down the league, and Tony Mowbray’s arrival hasn’t stopped that, with Blues now firmly in the fight for survival, with Mark Venus in charge while the ex-Sunderland manager recovers from sickness.

Birmingham City’s goalscoring problems

However, the owners will be questioned on more than just managerial decisions, as Birmingham’s lack of activity in January was startling, particularly their failure to sign a new number nine.

Jay Stansfield has been a terrific addition to the Blues’ squad, and he is their leading scorer in the Championship with nine goals thus far.

However, as of 2024, he has only two league goals in 12 games, indicating that his form has been a source of concern for some time, but it was not addressed in the New Year.

Lukas Jutkiewicz still provides an aerial danger, but he is no more the player he once was, and injuries are limiting him. Scott Hogan also had a similar story.

Meanwhile, Oliver Burke and Tyler Roberts, both forwards, have fitness difficulties and have yet to score in the league.

So, it’s a significant issue for Blues right now, and you get the impression they’re urgently hoping Stansfield can regain his form in front of goal or midfielder Jordan James can continue to contribute.

Simply said, relying on two kids to get the club out of this predicament isn’t acceptable.

Birmingham City’s January transfer regret

The new owners’ intentions are clear, and they should be commended for their efforts to improve the stadium and heal connections with the supporters, who have suffered greatly over the years.

But, for all football clubs, what happens on the pitch is most essential.

We know the Blues weren’t in a position to simply splurge the cash on anyone in January, and that shouldn’t be the path they choose anyhow.

Nonetheless, there would have been room to bring in a striker, and the club could have sent Hogan or Jutkiewicz to assist if necessary.

Failure to do so could prove to be costly, as Birmingham are once again flirting with relegation from the Championship, but there will be worries over whether they have the firepower to pull out of this problem this time.