Chris Davies would be crazy not take advantage of most of Birmingham City’s 2024 arrival

| June 17, 2024 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Birmingham City is about to enter a new era in the 2024/25 season, one they would rather have avoided.

For the first time since 1995, the Blues will play in English football’s third division this season.

That comes after they were relegated from the Championship on the penultimate day of last season, with a 1-0 victory against Norwich in their last game failing to lift them out of the bottom three.

Birmingham will have to adjust to a new division this season, as well as a new manager.

Chris Davies takes charge at St. Andrew’s following relegation to League One

During their problems last season, a number of different managers took the helm at St. Andrew’s.

They finished the season with former manager Gary Rowett in caretaker command after Tony Mowbray was forced to step down for health reasons.

It was then stated at the end of the season that Mowbray would not be returning to the role, putting Birmingham in search of a new manager.

Chris Davies, 39, has taken over as manager of the Blues after leaving his post as a coach at Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

This is Davies’ first senior managerial post, and with many at Birmingham hoping for a quick return to the Championship, the pressure will undoubtedly be on him.

However, others argue that if Davies is to be successful with the Blues next season, he should focus on one player in particular on the St Andrew’s roster.

Alex Pritchard could be key to Birmingham City promotion push

Alex Pritchard moved to the Midlands during this year’s January transfer window.

The offensive midfielder joined from Sunderland, where he previously played under Mowbray, for an unknown price.

Pritchard signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club, extending his stay at St Andrew’s until the end of the 2025/26 season.

However, injuries curtailed the 31-year-old’s involvement in the second half of last season, as Birmingham were relegated from the Championship.

However, with his contract assuring his future at the club and a full pre-season under his belt, he should be fit and ready to play a larger role for the Blues in 2024/25.

Given Pritchard’s previous experiences, Davies must undoubtedly aim to capitalise on this as he attempts to return the team to the Championship.

The offensive midfielder joined Sunderland in the summer of 2021, when the team was still in League One.

However, during Pritchard’s second season at The Stadium of Light, they secured a long-awaited promotion back to the Championship.

Indeed, the attacking midfielder made some important contributions to that success, scoring four goals and providing 13 assists – including two in the play-offs – to help Sunderland to promotion.

As a result, it is clear that Pritchard possesses both the quality and experience required to assist a team gain promotion from League One and return to the Championship.

With that role now assigned to Davies at Birmingham, it would make sense for him to try to develop Pritchard into a vital player for the Blues in the coming season.

That way, he can make a similar individual impact as he did with Sunderland the last time he played at that level, while also guiding the rest of the squad through the burden of such expectation.

With that in mind, it appears that the signing of Pritchard, which was made before to his arrival, might be a significant help for Davies as he seeks to return Birmingham City to the Championship.

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