Birmingham City’s transfer priority, top-six credentials and John Eustace’s future addressed

Birmingham City returned to winning ways on Tuesday with a thumping 4-1 victory over Huddersfield Town.

Siriki Dembele outclassed the Terriers with two goals, with Koji Miyoshi and Jordan James also on target at St Andrew’s. The win ended Blues’ five-game winless streak in the Championship.

Alex Dicken (AD) and Brian Dick (BD) digested that victory on the latest episode of the Keep Right On podcast.

Check out the transcript from the Q&A section of the podcast below, where Alex and Brian discuss January targets, Blues’ top six credentials and reports linking John Eustace with Rangers.

What position should Blues strengthen in January?

BD: “The only position that jumps out is striker isn’t it? Yes, Stansfield has solved the issue Blues have now. I think Blues have worked this quite smartly because they have Hogan, Jutkiewicz and Stansfield. They are not in a moment of desperate need where they absolutely need someone to come in and cover a starting position. Hogan and Jutkiewicz are off the books next June, and Stansfield will go back, so they won’t have any strikers next summer.

“If they could somehow sign Jay Stansfield on a permanent I would be stampeding down the door at Craven Cottage to get that done. Striker still needs looking at in the next window, but maybe not so much for this season as next.”

AD: “Stansfield is one a lot of people ask about. I would be stunned if Fulham let him go. He has a long-term future there. I agree with all your points on the striker situation, I think it’s probably the most pressing concern. I’m going to throw another one in there and say if there is a chance of signing a holding midfielder who is a bit more progressive with the ball, I think there’s a bit of room for it in this side. Bielik is the perfect holding midfielder but sometimes you could have someone who is a bit more attack-minded than Sunjic.

“Against Huddersfield they were both superb and it worked perfectly, but sometimes having both of them there limits you a little bit going forward. Bacuna can do that role but I actually like him further forward now on the right of the three. Someone like Sara at Norwich would be perfect. I know he cost a lot of money but he would fit into this Blues system perfectly in my opinion.”

If everyone is fit, do Blues have a squad worthy of top six?

AD: “The league is so strong this year it’s really difficult to answer that. West Brom are a good example of a team that not many people thought would be in the top six, given how strong the league is. Yet there they are and they have a very strong squad. Blues have a good squad, with a lot of different options. The problem has been getting some of their most talented players on the pitch. I would say that Blues are a team that could end up being 10th pushing towards the play-offs. There are a lot of squads that are capable of being in the conversation and I think Blues are one of them.”

John Eustace and Rangers

AD: “I would be surprised if Eustace is genuinely a contender for Rangers at this moment in time. There are managers around Europe that might be of more interest, especially as they went down the Beale route last time of getting a Championship manager who had started the season well, they might not be looking to again.

“Eustace has become a bit of talking point over the last couple of weeks amongst fans. I think you get a better reflection inside the ground than on social media of what fans are thinking. You know when fans turn on someone inside the ground it’s the end game, we have seen it happen so many times. We have never got the sense of that happening with Eustace.

“The key thing I am struggling with at the moment, is what are we judging him against? What is success in the owners’ eyes? They haven’t been clear about that for this particular season. They have kept those cards very close to their chest.

“My opinion on it would be to get to mid-table to top half, then have Blues got enough to challenge towards the play-offs in the second half of the season? That is what I look at as success for Blues this season based on the recruitment and what has gone before it. Until we have a clearer idea of what the owners want for this season it is very difficult to judge him.”

BD: “They are on course to be there or thereabouts come March. That’s positive. You made the point that the players you interviewed in the summer did talk about top six and play-offs. That might seem pie in the sky, but it’s refreshing from another point of view. If you have the same squad, as Blues have had over several seasons, and the mindset is just to avoid relegation every season then you shoot for the ceiling and you might hit the top of the cupboard. Now if you are shooting for the stars, you might hit the moon.

“The raised expectations from players are a positive thing. If the expectations are raised from the owners we don’t know yet. They have never really set a target yet. Eustace has proved he can keep a team in the Championship, the next stage is to prove he can make a team kick on.”