The countdown begins
It's that time again. When Sky Sports news goes more OTT than usual and can't get enough of itself, when fans websites go into overdrive and managers go round the twist.
Ahh, deadline day in the transfer window.
So what of Blues? Dozens in, millions spent? Not exactly.
The crown jewels to be sold at the last minute? Nope.
As a Championship club, and with the loan system available for the majority of the season, not to mention a strong squad, the pressure is not as exacting on them as it was in January, for example.
Sure, wouldn't it be great if Blues inspired us all by splashing a fair few million on players who would make the rest of the Championship feel queasy.
But it isn't going to happen, as much as everyone and McLeish would like it to.
That was the gist of what McLeish told me after the Norwich City game.
Like in 2006-07, the message from above is that stringent budgets are in place following relegation. There's a £25 million 'black hole', apparently.
The manager does want Bobo Balde, as we all know. And there is interesting news in regard to the centre-half in the Birmingham Mail.
The Blues manager is keen for a midfielder as well. But, at the time of writing, it's unlikely to be a cash signing, if at all. A loan is a more realistic proposition, and Blues have been sifting through various candidates at Premier League clubs.
There is a reasonable case to argue that a new player to help in the centre of the park is required more than a centre-half.
Imagine if something happens to Lee Carsley, where are Blues then?
Blues need more box-to-box drive and dynamism in the middle. Damien Johnson is crocked, Mehdi Nafti out. If Jordon Mutch were 22, not 16, it might not be an issue.
Kemy Agustien could well come good, but he is learning by the minute and almost too anxious to please.
The more long in the tooth Blues fans will tell you that they expect James McFadden and Sebastian Larsson to be sold.
It's not going to happen. That's the good news.
If a club pops up with £8 million, £10 million for either, then it might be different. But that's unlikely.
Speaking to Larsson after the Norwich game, he hardly gave off the air of a man absolutely desperate to find a way out, by hook or by crook.
Both he and McFadden know where the land lies and have got their heads round things.
And with Arsenal due a 40 per cent cut of any transfer fee over £1 million for Larsson, could you imagine Blues settling for anything but a huge wedge?
Realistically, if they were going to be sold, they would have long gone by now.
Traditionally, Blues always have had the capacity to surprise as the transfer deadline nears. Let's see what materialises.
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Colin Tattum - Mail man Colin Tattum’s view of what’s going on at Birmingham City FC.
I'm sick of hearing about this "£25 million black hole" or "£50 million black hole" as it was before the season started.
If Messrs Sullivan and Gold had spent £10m bringing in a top quality defender (or two)in the January transfer window, he/they might have gained us 1 extra point somewhere and we'd still be in the premiership - presumably still at least £15 million better off than we are now, working on their calculations wouldn't we???
I fully agree with the other comment. We sat through January knowing we needed a Centre Half & a midfielder with some creativity, and here we are another 8 months on, on deadline day but in exactly the same position. Clearly its not my money but its seems like false economy not to invest some of the money recovered from the sales of Muamba & Kapo. It feels to me the board want to get us back in the prem (very laudible) but with minimum investment ripe to sell - again!!
From one of the very few season ticket holders!
I think after the latest proof that Sullivan and Gold are trying (and succeeding) to destroy my club. A pressure group to get them out must be formed. Too many fans (including myself) are being kept away from the club because of their mismanagement.
I feel dreadfully sorry for Alex McLeish.
He was sold a pup.
Bolton spent money and stayed up. Sunderland spent money and stayed up. Wigan spent money and stayed up. Previously, Portsmouth spent money and stayed up.
I wonder if the Blues board can see any connection.
Prediction: Blues to at best make the play-offs...cos the owners are again penny-pinching.
ah the mystical £25 million black hole !
Thats back is it ?
is that after the £8 million profit in the accounts ?
And the £10 million parachute payment ?
And the £5 million from Muamba ?
And the £2.5 million from Kapo ?
And the freeing up of wages from the many who have left us from last season on free's or loans expired , etc
And the fact that we didn't spend all of the £35 million from the previous season ( especially as 'allegedly' some of that money was to be received at the 'end' of last season which was the excuse used for not spending more on transfers)
oh well at least we have seb and mcfad.........
until January
Typical Blues. No ambition. Tatts was spot on another good shout.
I, like many fellow Blues fans, am deeply concerned about the future of the Club.
My belief that the future of the club is in jeopardy is based upon the following issues regarding it’s leadership:
Despite huge sums of money coming in from various sources the owners have consistently invested relatively little in the first team squad and it now appears have ceased to entertain the notion of having players as actual employees of the Club preferring a loans only strategy.
The current owners have virtually ceased to invest in ground development and will not even provide a large screen – Albion possess two such screens and an electronic score board to boot - in fact the owners have made strong attempts to sell the stadium with a view for BCFC to merely exist as tenants in a facility provided by other parties.
Further, the owners were happy to sell the entire Club to an individual in a deal wherein efforts were clearly not made to investigate his credentials to determine if the Club was being passed into safe hands.
They have regularly sold off the better players.
They have done away with the reserve team.
David Sullivan has stated he does not like footballers.
.David Sullivan, David Gold and Karen Brady have repeatedly been involved in acrimonious splits with former employees with one former Captain assessing the Club as having ‘’no heart, no soul.’’
David Sullivan and Karen Brady have repeatedly been embroiled in arguments with disaffected supporters, in fact Sullivan appears to relish it. Rarely in the history of the Club have public relations been so poor which has been exacerbated by the vicious pricing policy of recent years which especially has alienated season ticket holders - the life blood of any football club.
There have been numerous broken promises and thousands of paying customers have been lost with fans feeling they are not listened to or respected. David Gold drew vitriol from football followers throughout the land as one of the most public advocates of the outrageous ‘39th Game’ with his keenness to export ‘The Brand’ (!).
David Sullivan, David Gold and Karen Brady are currently embroiled in legal investigations concerning football corruption with David Sullivan additionally under current investigation for sexual assault (however, innocence must be presumed until proven guilty on these but all this hardly promotes BCFC as a ‘family club’ now does it?).
The above makes alarming reading, even more so when we know it is not an exhaustive list of all the things wrong at Blues.
I have very grave concerns, very grave indeed.