As Birmingham City prepare for their return to the Championship, questions remain about whether the squad is ready to face the challenges ahead.
After a season of rebuilding, the team has shown signs of promise, but can they compete at the higher level with the pressure mounting? Will the squad be able to hit the ground running, or is there still work to be done?
We spoke to Charlie Haffenden for the latest insights on Birmingham City’s preparations.
After a season of rebuilding, the team has shown signs of promise, but can they compete at the higher level with the pressure mounting? Will the squad be able to hit the ground running, or is there still work to be done?
We spoke to Charlie Haffenden for the latest insights on Birmingham City’s preparations.
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00:00Now, as Birmingham City prepare for their return to the Championship, questions remain
00:08about whether the squad is ready to face the challenges ahead. After a season of rebuilding,
00:13the team has shown signs of promise, but can they compete at the higher level with the
00:17pressure mounting? New signings and key players have the potential to make an impact, but
00:23consistency and adaptation will be crucial. Will the squad be able to hit the ground running
00:28or is there still work to be done? We discuss the team's prospects for the Championship
00:33return and what it will take for Birmingham to thrive in the tougher league. I spoke to
00:38Charlie Haffenden for the latest insights on Birmingham City's preparations.
00:43Charlie, let's look at Birmingham City and Alex Cochrane specifically. I mean, he's a
00:51player who's again another versatile sort of cog in Chris Davies' plans. It seems like
00:56he's played a lot of players in multiple different positions throughout this campaign
01:00and really had a look at them for the future. I mean, obviously, we've mentioned it looks
01:05like they're definitely going to be a Championship club next season. What sort of impact has
01:09he had and what future has he got ahead? He's only obviously 24 years of age, plenty to
01:14play, plenty ahead of him. What sort of impact has he had at Birmingham City this season?
01:20I think he's really gone under the radar at Blues this season, Cochrane. He's played the
01:24second most minutes out of any player in that squad. Obviously, the goalkeepers have
01:29been in and out of the team, who's first choice, who's second choice. So, even beating the
01:32goalkeepers, Christoph Klarer is the only man to play more in all competitions this
01:36season than Cochrane. The left back, of course, holding that position because of injury for
01:42Lee Buchanan at the start of the season and then another injury for Buchanan keeping out
01:46for the rest of the campaign. That does help, but he still had to step up. He still had
01:50to be consistent. I spoke to Chris Davies recently about Cochrane and just how consistent
01:55he's been in that position. He's been so impressed with how he's coped. Not only 1v1 against
02:00some of League One's best wingers, but also just bombing down the left-hand side, crossing
02:05the ball into the box, changing and adapting when the system changes in matches, inverting
02:10inside into midfield to create an overload when needed. Cochrane has been able to do
02:14all of that. He's taken it in his stride. As you say, he's still 24. He's not quite
02:19in his prime years just yet. He didn't quite make it in English football at Brighton, obviously
02:24at Hearts. In Scottish football for three years, that definitely helps, but a very different
02:29kettle of fish playing in the physical leagues in England. I think he's coped really well.
02:33I think we can see more from him. Whether Buchanan can take over that left-back spot
02:37in the Championship, I'm not sure. Cochrane has been so impressive and he might even be
02:41able to hold it down in the next division.
02:44The versatility of so many Blues players this season, playing in and out of different positions.
02:53You mentioned Taylor Gardner-Hickman before as well. Do you feel that's a sustainable
02:57play going forward in the Championship? Do you think it could massively benefit a few
03:02players and really help Blues in terms of those really tight games on a Tuesday night,
03:07for example, where you have to go away and get a win or you're at home and you want to
03:11shift something up because a lot of teams in the Championship are so hard to break down at times?
03:18Yeah, I think versatility is very important and we see that in all divisions. It's when
03:22you get those injuries racking up and you want a bit of consistency in a starting XI,
03:26you can call upon someone like a Taylor Gardner-Hickman to move to right-back or
03:30we've seen him on the left wing even recently, the complete opposite side of the pitch.
03:34He's able to fill in. Mark Leonard has played in attack midfield, he's played defence midfield,
03:38a bit of a utility player for Blues. Even Jay Stansfield, he's led the line at times,
03:43he's played on both flanks, even as a number 10. Lyndon Dykes, very much an out-and-out
03:48target man, centre-forward, has played as a number 10 at times to hold up the ball for Blues,
03:53knock on with headers and outs to wide players. Keshie Anderson, someone who's really impressed
03:58me this year, he can play on either side. When he joined Blues, he was more of a right winger,
04:03but I think his best performances recently have been as a number 10, getting in between the
04:08lines. As you say, it's very important, versatility. Chris Davies, in particular,
04:13loves having players who can play in multiple positions and that'll definitely put them in
04:16good stead in the Championship. Sam Stead, originally a loan deal, but he has confirmed
04:22himself in a recent press conference. He was like, should I be saying this, should I not?
04:26He revealed it anyway, he is joining Birmingham on a permanent deal next year. I think it's good
04:31to have depth at full-back in particular, on the most strenuous positions, especially in Blues,
04:36high-tempo system. Stepping up at the moment, at least in the last few matches,
04:40has been crucial for Blues and hopefully continue next season.