Birmingham City has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent months. More than 20,000 season tickets have already been sold for the upcoming Championship campaign, with another 14,000 fans on the waiting list.
Temporary fan parks now ring St Andrew's, and the atmosphere around the ground is electric. Club officials have laid out ambitious plans to reconnect the city of England's second metropolis with the football team that bears its name, hoping to unlock the full potential that many believe has been dormant for years.
Supporter groups are sprouting across the globe, a phenomenon that can be traced back to the high‑profile signing of Tom Brady, and the prevailing narrative is that the Blues are shaping themselves into a side capable of competing in the Premier League. Given an ownership group that is willing to invest heavily and a fanbase that has been starved of success for far too long, it is no surprise that Birmingham City feels a sense of urgency.
The excitement that surrounds the club brings with it heightened expectations, both from within the organization and from the wider football community. Everyone senses that the club is on an upward trajectory, yet the reality is that progress in football rarely happens overnight. Looking back, last season may have been less about losing momentum and more about giving the club a chance to catch its breath. To put the recent performance into perspective, one must travel back to the 2011‑12 season, when Birmingham were still competing in European competition.
That campaign still outshines the 10th‑place finish achieved in 2025‑26, underscoring how far the team has come. "It was our first season back, which people found hard to remember at times," Birmingham manager Chris Davies told Sky Sports ahead of the opening league fixture against Sheffield United. He was not referring to the supporters – "they have been great" – but to the whole club ecosystem that now carries a weight of hope and ambition.
Davies reflected on his own learning curve: "One thing I did learn was that I can handle it. I can handle the ups and downs." Those downs were few, as the Blues clinched the League One title with a record‑breaking 111 points, dominating opponents with a possession‑based style that left little doubt about their superiority.
The step up to the Championship, however, proved to be a different beast. "You can read about the Championship, but to feel it is something else entirely," Davies admitted. The second tier of English football posed new tactical puzzles, and the club's original game plan – what Davies called Plan A – only worked intermittently. In League One, Birmingham thrived on total football, maintaining roughly 80 % possession and circulating the ball with relentless precision.
"We controlled games for the majority of the time," he explained. When they moved into the Championship, the recruitment policy shifted toward smaller, technically gifted players in an attempt to replicate that style.
The experiment yielded mixed results: there were nights when the approach clicked, but there were also matches where the side lacked the physical punch needed, especially away from home. That contrast was evident in the opening Carabao Cup tie against Swansea, where Birmingham secured a narrow 1‑0 victory despite holding only 39 % of possession.
The win was more than a morale boost; it hinted that the team had begun to incorporate new elements into its play. The decisive goal came from August Priske, a robust 22‑year‑old Danish target‑man signed in January. Priske had already made a name for himself by scoring the opening goal against Barcelona in a packed St Andrew's stadium the previous month.
"Jhon Solis, Carlos Vicente and August arrived together, and the six months they have had is their initiation into English football and the Championship. They are now ready to go and have performed admirably," Davies said. Vicente, a combative Spanish winger, provided the assist for Priske’s Swansea strike, while Solis – a Colombian midfielder who also found the net against Barcelona – adds steel to the midfield.
Their rapid adaptation underscores the importance of blending technical ability with the physical demands of the league. When Davies reflected on the previous campaign, he concluded that increasing the team’s physicality would be essential for the next step. "The modern game is a lot of man‑to‑man pressing and set‑piece emphasis. You need the physical capacity to deal with it," he noted.
That philosophy guided the summer transfer window. In addition to the winter signings, Birmingham secured the services of Dael Fry, a 6‑ft‑4‑in centre‑back with nearly 300 Championship appearances. Fry’s experience is expected to help the side transition more smoothly while retaining the ball‑retention principles that Davies has instilled.
Davies clarified that the aim is to augment, not overhaul, the existing system. "When you have a team that can keep the ball, it’s easier to shift to a more pragmatic or direct style than if you only know how to play pragmatic football," he explained. The shift toward a more direct approach began toward the end of last season. Sitting 17th in mid‑April, Birmingham used the brief international break to tweak their shape, focusing on quicker transitions, a higher tempo, and a greater emphasis on set‑pieces.
The changes paid off, as the club finished the campaign on a five‑game unbeaten run, securing a respectable top‑10 finish and a boost in confidence heading into the summer. Davies emphasized the need for balance: "We don’t want to lose what we’re good at. Pressing remains a cornerstone.
No team in the Championship last season executed our press consistently, and it was effective for us." He added that once the ball is won back, the team should look to accelerate forward, win more set‑pieces, and create additional scoring opportunities. To that end, Birmingham hired specialist set‑piece coach Scott Fry.
Davies believes that dead‑ball situations could be the decisive factor in a promotion push. The impact is already visible: Solis scored from a set‑piece against Barcelona, and Priske’s winner at Swansea followed a well‑rehearsed routine involving Vicente’s delivery.
"We need to score around 70 goals to challenge the top six," Davies said, noting that the leading six clubs each hit that mark, whereas Birmingham managed 57 last season. "If we can add six or seven from set‑pieces and a couple from counter‑attacks, we only need two or three from open play. It’s absolutely doable." The club’s confidence is growing.
Players who were newcomers to the Championship now have over 40 games of experience, having learned what it feels like to play at venues like Millwall. At the training ground, Davies has stripped away the buzzwords that once adorned the walls, adopting a no‑nonsense mantra: leaner, meaner, and more cohesive. While director of football Craig Gardner has departed, the club leans on the seasoned Mike Rigg to maintain continuity.
Commercially, Birmingham continues to thrive, boasting the highest revenue among Championship clubs without relying on parachute payments. Having weathered a turbulent period and now stabilising, Birmingham City stands on the cusp of its next chapter. Davies summed up the prevailing sentiment: "I am confident that we can keep progressing.
The big thing is to keep moving forward and getting stronger."