Preparing for Life in EFL LEAGUE ONE: The Road Back to the EFL Championship and What to Expect #62
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 12. 05. 2024
- Birmingham City's relegation to EFL League One has sent shock waves through the club, but can the Blues bounce straight back to the Championship? In this podcast we discuss how life will be different from the EFL Championship and some of the things that Blues fans can expect from League One. Will Blues be the dominant force everyone expects in League One? We'll also examine whether the Blues can adapt their approach to the new league.
Looking ahead to the 2024/25 season, we'll explore whether Birmingham City are destined for promotion glory, or will the road back be tougher than expected?
If you are a Birmingham City Supporter then let us know your thoughts by adding a comment below this video. It would also be great to here from fans from other League One clubs so let us know your thoughts about your own team's chances for next season by also adding a comment below the video.
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Yep, keep em coming plz. even over the summer if you can, I find them therapeutic after the misery of relegation đ
Thank you very much for your comment which is greatly appreciated. We will continue to produce and publish our podcasts right through the summer period. There is so much going on that I think we might be busy! KRO
There will be a lot of teams in Division One doing their very best to beat Birmingham City F.C. too claim a scalp !!. K.R.O.
@@comicbuyer there is no doubt it will be tough but if we can get our recruitment right and get some competitive players and some leaders in the squad that will certainly help. KRO
When we were 2-0 up against Ipswich they literally went league 1 style in the 2nd half and got a result - they were physical in that 2nd half!
Thanks for commenting, always appreciated :)
Really valid point, I totally forgot about this. They really turned that battle and physicality on in the second half as we started to lose momentum. That was a pattern for me this year. Teams raising their games late on in matches whilst we couldn't keep up to that level for long enough.
Thanks again, KRO!
Your channel and Brian/Alexes are easily the best two BCFC channels. Really enjoy the insights and opinions you share. Keep up the great work gents đđ
Thanks for commenting, always appreciated.
There are many great blues channels out there but thank you so much for your kind words and appreciation for us. It really means the world to know people enjoy it :)
Very best, KRO!
Absolutely agree, both channels are knowledgeable and professional.
What I would say is that Rotherham find it very easy to get promoted every time they go down. I think itâs a myth that the league is hard. Sunderland Pompey Ipswich all had terrible owners when they went down. We donât - thatâs a huge positive which will make things easier for us
Thank you for your comment. That was my thoughts that we gave great owners and that should make all the difference. The summer should be very interesting for our club and hopefully we can get players with the right mentality. KRO
Great comments. Love your podcast keep em coming KRO
Thank you very much Robert that is greatly appreciated. KRO
Great podcast guys! I think though the bitter disappointment of relegation, the club really has to embrace this opportunity now to turn it's fortunes around on the pitch. Momentum is such a big thing in football and as a club we've had zero momentum on the pitch in the last decade. We have an ideal opportunity now to build a mostly new team/squad, we can change the mentality that you spoke of and bring in the right characters too. Tony Mowbary said after our Sheff Weds away defeat last season that we had "too many artists and not enough soldiers". Now we have the opportunity to completely rebuild the spine of our team, fill it with "soldiers" and then sprinkle thoses "artists" around them. I believe if we get the spine of our team right, we'll bounce back.
Another opportunity as a consequence of relegation will be that we can afford to fill a chunk of our squad now with our most promising academy players. Instead of loaning them out to league 1/2 clubs, we can now afford blood them easier ourselves, giving them opportunities off the bench or game time in the EFL trophy. This situation is not what we wanted, but we have to maximise everything we can from it and more importantly find a winning mentality along with momentum! KRO
Thank you for your comment. As you point out there is an opportunity now to really change the squad and to get in the type of players that we have been missing for a long time. The good news is that there are lots of players out of contract, plus our five loan players will go back so there is now plenty of space to fill in the squad. I also think many of our contracted players are not safe either! KRO
I think you are right in thinking it may not be easy to get back straight away. I'm thinking Sunderland, Bolton, Derby, Leeds, Wigan, Blackpool, Charlton, Reading, and Portsmouth. None of them found it easy. Portsmouth scored only 78 goal this season which isn't exactly prolific for a league winning team, but I hope that as well as signing the Sunjic get stuck in types we also invest in more skilful players who can break down those teams who come to Blues specifically to park the bus. I would hate to think we would become a negative defensive side. It sounds like we have the money to sign the best and I believe they will. I would also like to see the youngsters at the club given more playing time, at least they will show the passion and energy required.
Thank you for your comment. I am hoping that Tony Mowbray will be fit and well and able to rejoin us soon. If that is the case then he will build a team that is forward playing and possession based which is what we will need to get us out of this league and to move forward in the future. KRO
Just watched a video from a Barnsley fan who has predicted the league. In a nutshell heâs put Barnsley 2nd with Blues winning the league by at least 10-11 points! Does that mean Barnsley will get 90+ points? đ€ We will get that winning mentality back as long as the spine of the side is fighters! KROTTEOTR!! Canât wait! đȘđŒđ
Thank you for your comment. I saw that video as well but to be honest there are going to be a lot of people that predict us to do well next season. As long as we can get the recruitment right I think we will do very well, so a big summer ahead! KRO
I saw a guy on YT last week predicting the table for League one next season, he had Blues romping it by 10 clear points, I'd take that predection any day!!
Thank you for your comment Martin. I think we will see a lot of prediction videos coming out and I think many will predict us to do well. The proof however will be in the pudding and hopefully with good recruitment in the summer and Tony Mowbray coming back if fit and well I think we will do well. KRO
@@SmallHeathAllianceFC I see Steve Bruce is linked to us for a return, wouldn't be the worst idea
@@martynwest Iâm hoping that Tony will be fit and well and able to return ASAP. Steve Bruce is not a manager that would suit the progressive possession based football that I think the club want to play. I remember his time in the premiership, we just did not score enough goals. KRO
Daish johnson Hopkins Tait mark ward claridge Robinson Hunt lazaridis fighters and battlers and could score goals passion great times enjoyable especially at away games just loved the blues 92/ 94 season 2 Wembley appearances and millennium stadium great times Kro
Thanks for commenting, always appreciated. Especially with such amazing nostalgia :)
I remember those players well and Stan Lazaridis was personally one of my favourite players when I started watching the Blues in the 90s, he just glided past players on his day.
Amazing memories indeed! Thanks for commenting, KRO.
Interesting discussion fellas, I agree we might have a slow start to the season no matter what the squad looks like. I expect us to finish top 6 then weâll see. Obviously much depends on recruitment, I hope to God we get it right !
Thanks for commenting Joe :)
I think if we have Mowbray at the wheel I could see us bouncing straight back up to be honest but of course, we don't know the full story on this just yet and will respect the situation / await news from the club. Hopefully, we can get good recruitment and hit the ground running this season.
Thanks again, KRO!
Brilliant as always, guys. Professional throughout and never and waffle or filler content.
I think you two would be fantastic at reviewing video clips of our games... please think about it.
The Internet needs you đđŒđ
Thanks for commenting and leaving such a lovely message, greatly appreciated :)
We are still relatively new to all of this with our channel only being 3 months old but certainly nothing is off the table. We are meeting soon to discuss what new elements we could bring to the channel.
Thanks again, KRO!
Hello Guys. Yes it is an opportunity to get back to winning ways like we did under Barry Fry after relegation.
I think that one thing that we must guard against is getting involved in too many competitions. As a League One team we will be involved in four, entering some quite early on. The basis for this comment is that I know some Pompey fans and I remember them telling me that the season that they got to Wembley in League One they played just too many games - even the fans were getting tired! So the focus has to be on the league unless we are going to invest in a big squad or use our talented U-21s during the season.
Please keep the podcasts coming over the close season please. There will be plenty to discuss over the next couple of months! KRO
Thank you for your comment. Yes, thatâs a good point, there will be a lot if games with the league and other competitions but Iâm sure the focus will be very much on the league. I also think that the EFL trophy will be a good opportunity to give some of your young players a run out in the first team.
We will continue to publish podcasts all through the summer as events at Blues continue to unfold. KRO
Great memories winning the auto windscreen shield , was also fond of Anglo Italian cup , shame it was scrapped kro
A lot of blues fans have expressed how much fun they had during that season.
Here is too hoping we have another successful season like that one with a double :)
Very best, KRO!
Nice one! Who could forget Blues v Ancona? Staying away with work in Devon at the time, put the TV on when I got up to see what had been going on - the Italian "hard men" had taken our lads on and come out second best! More of that spirit now please! KRO
Iâm now looking forward to next season starting, I hope itâll be a season like when we were last in that league the 94/95 season when we did the âdoubleâ we battered everyone week in, week out under Barry Fry on our way to the title. Iâm looking forward to seeing us win more games than we lose which we havenât done since the 2011/12 season!
Thank you for your comment. I think most Blues fans are getting over the disappointment of relegation and starting to look forward to the season ahead. It will certainly be nice to start to win a few more games and hopefully the club can begin the squad rebuild to give us a team we can be proud of. KRO
Absolutely, get a winner's mentality and strong beliefs and this was i believe the best thing to have happened, reset is the way.
Thank you for your comment. Yes, it will be nice to start to win a few games on a regular basis! KRO
Great comments both - loved the L1 stats đ Iâm actually looking forward to the new season now (Iâm missing the football already!). It will be interesting to see which players we manage to keep, and which players we manage to recruit. I attended a few L1 games last season, as my partner is a Derby County fan. There were def some good teams in there i.e. Portsmouth, Bolton, Peterborough etc. Whilst I donât think L1 will be a walk in the park, Iâm hopeful with our owners we can get automatically promoted or at the very least make the playoffs. KRO.
~Catherine
Thank you for your comment Catherine. I think most Blues fans are coming to terms with relegation and will be really anticipating the start of the new season. As you point out we need to get the recruitment right and Iâm sure a lot of effort will be made in that department. KRO
I think some will be in for a rude awakening .
To a lot of the smaller teams ,this will be their cup final , and the players will be looking to impress .
As we stand , we havent got a manager or a functioning team .
So to all those who think it will be a doddle , think again .
Realistically , i think 2 - 3 seasons to get out ,which is brilliant.
Chance to really have a look at the nuts and bolts of the club , and rebuild .
Getting out wont be easy .
Thank you for your comment Andy. I think both me and Matt agreed that this league is different from the Championship and that we will need to adjust to compete. Much will depend on our recruitment which is crucial this summer. We need to get in players who will fight and battle and we also need leaders. If we can get this right and hopefully Tony Mowbray will be able to return soon, then I think we have every chance of doing well. KRO
Looks like you are going to have to prepare for your new derby matchup...... Burton!! 7000 max capacity 1400 away, hope you can get tickets! :)
Thank you for your comment. That will definitely be an issue at a lot of grounds next season as we always fill our away allocation and these allocations are likely to be lower from many League One teams. KRO
As a typical worrying blue nose i really dont think it will be easy , please remember we still need virtually an entire new squad , and just the small matter of a manager !!! Also i predict Wrexham will be the team to watch .
Thank you for your comment. There will certainly be a lot of departures followed by arrivals in the summer but to be honest that is exactly what we need, I think fans from other League One clubs may think that we as Blues fans will think this will be easy. What they don't realize is that Blues fans have been used to watching a team in decline for the past 10 years and all we have been used to is let downs and disappointment.
To get out of this league we want a team that will represent the values of the fans, which will be hard work, desire and commitment as an absolute minimum. We know this won't be easy but regardless we will be right behind the boys come the start of the season. KRO
First time watching (now subscribed) really enjoyed the podcast very down to earth particularly the lack of BS. Looking forward to the new players pictured holding the team scarf aloft in the stands. Now, which of the current players have the bottle and commitment to stay "forever true to the royal blue"? Time as ever will tell....KRO
Thank you for your comment and thank you for subscribing and welcome to the channel.
We have so many players out of contract in the summer and our loan players will go back so we are expecting a lot of new arrivals. I also think that a number of contracted players will be moved on so it should be a very interesting summer. KRO
I've just read in Birmingham Live that Steve Bruce is interested in coming back to Blues. I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Thank you for your comment Steve. Iâm hoping that Tony Mowbray will be fit and well and able to return.
I was always thankful to Steve Bruce for getting us up to the premier league however he is a very defensive oriented manager and I donât think his style of football would be what the owners or the fans would want to see. So for me it would be a no. KRO
Love to get the manager situation sorted.
I remember last time we were in the third division. The away games were amazing. We generally outnumbered the home supporters. I aas at wembly when paul tare scored the golden goal and all he was saying in the interview was brentford away is our next game and we need to win it to go up. KRO
Thanks for commenting Graham :)
Hopefully we can get some good away days this year too. I love a packed out St Andrews but nothing beats a win on the road when it's chaos. Really fun!
Great memories and thanks again, KRO!
I would not say a struggling championship side for years will be a big club in League 1. Average support , average stadium , poor players ...don't kid yourself. Having said that, still a very good show
Thank you for your comment which is appreciated. I suppose time will tell how we do in League One. The points you make about our struggles over recent years are valid and we will be having a massive overhaul of our squad over the summer. If we can get our recruitment right I think we will have a decent chance. KRO
I think we will romp the league the standard is going to be very low next season and with out transfer budget the level of budget we are going to have will make it really difficult for other teams to compete with us. Players like Dembele took the micky in league one scoring abundance of goals.
Thanks for commenting! Greatly appreciated :)
I love the confidence mate and I hope you are right.
Totally agree about the budget and other teams struggling to compete but my only fear is adapting to that style of football. Physicality, long balls, swarming the keeper and parking the bus etc. It will certainly take some getting used to. We will get there and as we said in the video we will bounce back but there will be an adjustment period.
I personally can't wait for this rebuild and for the season to start. I am just hoping Mowbray is well enough to come back and he can build the team he wants.
Thanks again, KRO!
The players are to blame not all but most , only two wins in the last 14 game we need players with bottle not ones when asked by Mr Mowbray to run back an help out hes answer was I DONT DO RUNNG BACK so there layes one of the problems with this team
Thank you for your message. I know exactly which player you are talking about but thankfully we will see a very different squad at the start of next season as there are so many players out of contract and our loan players will go back. KRO
Smaller squad size with more games [cups] really need to get rotation right. Also versatility of players.
Thanks for commenting David and totally agree!
Squad rotation and versatility will be important. I just hope we actually get some battlers and fighters in who can tear it up at this level.
Thanks again, KRO!
Ok league 1 isnt going to be easy for a variety of reasons , big club , they will all raise their game , new squad gelling , more games etc
We need to get our business done early so the squad has time to gel and please avoid sicknotes , go for players who are hungry to succeed and fight for the badge
Keep saying this but hope Mr Mowbray is having imput into the players in the very near future ( health permitting )
Really think the owners will spend big with promotion within 2 seasons minimum requirement KRO
Thank you for your comment. I think most Blues fans know that League One will be tough and much will depend on the types of players we recruit in the summer. The good news is that we have great owners and if they can provide us with a competitive team then we have a much better chance of doing well this season. Hopefully Tony Mowbray will be it and well and able to rejoin us soon. KRO
A good thing is Tony Mowbray friend is on recruitment. This is going to be a good reset
Thank you for your comment. I really hope Tony Mowbray can get himself fit and well and can rejoin us soon! KRO
Just don't sign players like Dozzell even if his dad is besties with Mowbray. No love in business.
I didn't know there was a link between Mowbray and Dozzell's dad.
Thanks for sharing :)
@@SmallHeathAllianceFCthey played together at Ipswich back in the day. Jason Dozzell was a decent player
Good afternoon Gentlemen, we need a manager still no news of Tony Mowbray⊠we need a strong side good players⊠KRO..
Thanks for commenting Michael, always appreciated :)
I think we will hear something from the club very soon. Of course we all respect Mowbray's health ane we only want him to return when he is ready and I think he is the perfect man to take us out of League 1.
This is arguably the biggest summer we have faced in decades and we need to get this right so I totally get why supporters are looking for clarity, us included.
Thanks again, KRO!
I hoping we recruit early as possible so they can get a full pre season in with the new players. There was a goal this season that involved us with hawk eye buzzer not going off on the refs arm can you remember what game that was KRO
Thank you for your comment. I can't remember the game you are referring too, but there is something in the back of my mind that vaguely remembers it.
I also hope we can get our recruitment started ASAP as there are a lot of positions to fill! KRO
Blues TV could be very active if going to a small ground
Thank you for your comment. KRO
I would like to be more positive about the blues chances next
season, but I can't see them finishing much above half way.
Even if we manage to sign the right players they have still got
to gell.
Thank you for your comment Frank. Itâs hard to tell in any league where a team will finish but with good recruitment and hopefully Tony will be well enough to come back, I think we will do ok and bounce back. KRO
I just cannot get excited about league1 football ,ie Burton Albion, Shrewsbury, will be interested to see who chucks a transfer request in .
Thanks, Harvey :)
Yeah, I get that. Considering what we've been used to for this long it's certainly going to be a shock at first. Most blues fans over social from what I've been reading are just going with it. I'm personally just going to enjoy the year if I can. If we win more games on the road and start to develop a winning mentality I will roll with it and enjoy myself.
Let's hope we bounce straight back.
Very best, KRO!
Donât know if heâd be interested. Maybe go for the Arsenal goalie thatâs just had a season long loan at Wrexham.
Thank you for your comment Charlie. Iâm sure Blues will be looking at lots of different positions but itâs fair to say that we are likely to sign at least two new goalkeepers. KRO
*We still haven't had confirmation who're Manager will be*
*first we were told Tm was recovering well and will be back early*
*now we have silence i think 75% chance he won't be back. i hope I'm wrong*
Thank you for your comment. I hope and think that the club will clarify the situation soon. I hope and pray that Tony is fit and well and able to rejoin as soon as possible. Clearly, the manager will have a big input into recruitment so this will need to be clarified soon. KRO
A big club doesn't half fill it's stadium every game and sit in the bottom half of the Championship for a decade.
I don't know what people have seen in this team for the past ten years to think League One will be a cake walk?
Thank you for your comment. I can tell you that the vast majority of Blues fans do not think that at all. Please read some of the comments below this video and you will see what I mean. We know this is going to be tough. KRO
Do you think kids from the academy could go strait in and not have to be loaned out?
Thanks for commenting Mick!
It's funny you've commented this, we have a video scheduled for this Friday at 12pm discussing the impact our younger / academy players may have on our season in League 1.
I think the majority will see this as a huge opportunity to show what they are capable of and try to break into the team.
Very best, KRO!
The poor decision-making from the new people in charge took us down ! The jury is firmly still out as on the pitch, they have plenty to prove. I'm still not sure about them because they thought a clown like Wayne Rooney would take the club forward. With the turn around in players required at least a couple seasons in league one before promotion is more realistic. KRO.
Thank you for your comment. There will be a big turnaround in players over the summer which to be honest is much needed. Hopefully, we can recruit some players with the right character and a few leaders. KRO
come on guys league one is not the premier league
Thanks for commenting, always appreciated.
Of course it isn't hence why we predicted we would bounce straight back up in the video. It just isn't going to as easy as some are predicting as it's a different style of football so more of an adaptation period really...
Thanks again, KRO!
i will tell you that league is horrific with time wasting and the referees are horrendous.You being a semi big club will be know help at all.
Thanks for commenting Terry :)
Yeah, I heard all this from friend's who have supported League 1 teams for years. They also said smaller teams will literally come and park the bus which gets really irritating. It's going to be an interesting season but even after 9 days I weirdly miss it.
Very best, KRO!