Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has cautioned that gaining promotion back to the Championship on the first try will be difficult.
Following eight close-season additions, half of which were for seven-figure sums, the Blues were quickly established as favourites to win League One and bounce back from relegation in May.
Davies understands that the American-owned Blues’ summer expenditure would be coveted and hated, making them targets to be shot at.
“Anyone who believes it will be easy, whether a player or a supporter, does not comprehend the struggle. “Some of the big clubs in League One have struggled to get out,” he told BBC Radio WM.
“We want to move out of this divide as soon as possible, but it will require a lot of effort. What we must prepare for is being perceived as the biggest fish in the pond. A 0-0 draw will be seen favorably by many of our opponents, particularly at our home ground.
“I’ve worked for clubs with high expectations, so I understand what it’s like,” said the former Liverpool, Celtic, and Tottenham assistant manager.
“I’ve worked at Liverpool and Spurs, and there is no more intense environment than working in a football city like Glasgow. We need to… have the humility to recognize the obstacles that must be tackled.”
‘We need to repay the fans’ faith’
In an hour-long interview with BBC Radio WM, which will run at 18:00 BST on Friday, Davies expressed his joy with the public response to his appointment in early June, as well as the work that has subsequently been completed.
The Blues have sold 17,000 season tickets, and 20,000 fans, including 7,000 from Glasgow, attended last week’s pre-season visit by Rangers for the Trevor Francis Memorial Match.
“It was a special night for my first game at the stadium,” Davies told reporters.
“I am humbled by the reception I have received. There won’t be many clubs who are demoted and are as excited about the new season. However, one of the reasons I joined the club was the Blues fans and what it means to them.
“They are behind us, and we must reward their faith. However, the owners’ investment strategy reveals everything about the club’s future trajectory.
“Having goal is one thing, but putting it into action requires systems and people. Once I met guys like Tom Wagner, Tom Brady, Craig Gardner, and Garry Cook, it appeared to be a really well-organized club seeking for someone to come in and lead it.
‘The Blues way’ under Davies
Davies is prepared to respond to a disaster of a season in 2023-24, remembered solely for relegation, Wayne Rooney, and five other ‘gaffers picking the team’.
“When I came in, I was reminded that I was the seventh man in charge in a year,” Davies recalled. “I knew we needed players who were up to the challenge. It was critical that they were the appropriate character, and I have that with all of the guys we’ve brought in.
“There were some who were unwilling to come down and work hard in League One, but we’ve made some fantastic additions and still have a few more to do. The goal was to create a better squad than last year’s.
“The players I’ve kept are hurting from relegation and want to repay the club. And I adore our young players. They give you a distinct perspective.
“We have depth, quality, and the ability to play high-energy football, but patience is required at times.” The average number of goals scored per game is three. That’s one every thirty minutes.
“But without enough patience, you lose that penetration. Fans want to see us ignite the stadium. It is not only about possessing possession. It’s about utilizing that possession to determine the best path to attack.
“For me, high pressing will be essential to our game – and that only comes if we train well, with intensity. And they’re going to have to be fit. It has to be all-in too. If they can’t do that, they won’t even train, let alone play.”
Who Davies has learned from
Davies has learned a lot since coming under Brendan Rodgers’ instruction so early in his career, after his playing dreams were dashed by injury – but he has also had other effects.
“My principles are the ones I first worked with under Brendan at Swansea,” the coach stated. “If I had to characterize what I want the fans to see, it would not be possession, but the pressing. I want them to see a team that works extremely hard.
“There’s that famous Johan Cruyff comment about players only possessing the ball for three minutes in a game, so what do you do for the remaining 90 minutes? You need to run and work.
“I had a lot of responsibility working for Brendan, and subsequently Ange Postecoglou. He was a strong, commanding figure with whom I thoroughly loved working.
“And I worked very closely with Steven Gerrard at Liverpool. That was an excellent opportunity to learn about what it takes to be an elite-level footballer.
“We lost Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, but I spent pre-season with him and Son Heung-min, and I saw it in them as well. The daily habits, timeliness, punctuality, desire to exercise, focus in every training session, post-game analysis – all of the attributes required to reach the top.”
Following this Saturday’s final home friendly against neighbours West Bromwich Albion, Blues start the League One campaign on Saturday, 10 August with the visit of Reading (17:30 BST).