A contract update for the League One side.
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00:00On to Birmingham City, obviously suffering a loss to Charlton in their last League One
00:05game. I mean, it's just sort of exaggerated that League One isn't quite a walkover that
00:10it might look after their unbelievable start to the season. How are fans reacting after
00:15that? Obviously, you know, it's no time for panic stations, but it certainly is a little
00:19reminder that it can prove quite a tough division to escape. And if you get a bit complacent
00:26like the likes of Sunderland did in the past, you know, it can sort of get you.
00:30We've seen teams with a lead of 10, 12, 13, 14 points in League One, and that gets heavily
00:36reduced at the end of the season. We saw in the Championship last year of Leicester City,
00:40they start to get a bit complacent and then a bit squeaky bum time towards the end of
00:44the season. These teams, either they do act up and then they manage to see it on through
00:48and get promoted, or they can fall away and lose it completely. Obviously, so early doors
00:53for Birmingham to see if they're going to be falling away or not. But that Charlton
00:57game is a reminder, as Chris Davies, the manager, has been saying this whole time, you can't
01:02take any League One game for granted, any win for granted. Charlton, they're not exactly
01:06the best team in the world, and they lost their best player, Alfie May, to Birmingham
01:11in the summer. But Blues didn't even have a shot on target at the Valley. Charlton did
01:15set up quite defensively after they got their goal, as you would do against the best team
01:19in the league, and they worked hard to get that three points. I think the main reaction
01:23from the Blues fans is, oh, OK, right. Maybe Davies is right, this isn't going to be so
01:28easy. I think they're a little bit disappointed that unbeaten record is gone. But realistically,
01:33you're never going to get an unbeaten record in 46 matches. It would have to be one of
01:37the most perfect seasons we've ever seen to get that record. So maybe the fact that's
01:41out of the way gets rid of that kind of talking point and they can just focus on game to game.
01:46Yeah, and obviously we've mentioned the massive summer, the amount of signings, there's been
01:51some contract situations being updated. What quite appeals to me is the length of these
01:58contracts as well, the sort of 20, 28, three or four years' time. What's the latest you
02:03can tell us on the contract situation and how pleased should Blues be to secure these
02:09names for a few more years?
02:11Yes, the main two recently have been Pike Seng-Ho, the midfielder, and Ethan Laird,
02:17the right back. Both, I believe, until 2028, which is a long-term commitment for both players.
02:23Pike Seng-Ho in particular is showing his quality. He's definitely a division above,
02:27if not higher, for Blues in that midfield. Him and Tamaki Owata have created one of the
02:32best partnerships outside of the Premier League, I'd argue, let alone just in League One. So
02:37I think if they go up to the Championship, they should be pretty comfortable starting
02:41those two players every single week. And then Ethan Laird maybe leaves a little bit to be
02:46desired defensively with his positioning and his tracking back. But going forward, he's
02:50got so much energy, so much charisma, and his delivery may be a little bit inconsistent
02:54at times, but he's definitely got the potential to be a top-quality player for Blues. Obviously,
02:59formerly of Manchester United as well, he's had that good upbringing and training at Old
03:02Trafford. So yeah, to tie those two players down is very important. And I think it assures
03:07Blues that they're not just spending money for the here and now. They're looking to several
03:11years ahead. These crazy sums that we're seeing, it is a long-term plan. It's not just for
03:15this season.