Club guide: Birmingham City
Title: 2,000-1 Relegation: 9-2 Sack Race: 14-1
Transfers
IN
B Foster (Man United, £6m, right), N Zigic (Valencia, £6m), E Valles (NAC Breda, free)
total spent: £12m
OUT
L Carsley (Coventry, free), G McSheffrey (Coventry, free), F Quedrue, T Tainio, G Vignal, J Wilson (all released), C Benitez (Santos Laguna, loan)
total made: £0m
Player to watch
Nikola Zigic. The forward who makes Peter Crouch look short is one of the most fascinating summer purchases.
Squad worries
Long on endeavour, short on class, although those qualities were still sufficient to earn ninth place in the Premier League last time.
Manager speak
Alex McLeish not only got the Blues back up but took a moderate squad into the top half of the table, scoring few goals. A more positive approach would now be welcome.
Story of the summer
Last season’s overachievers trekked off to the Far East to please their new Chinese owners. The signing of the towering Zigic will leave St Andrew’s regulars with more reason than just the club’s long-ball game to crane their necks.
Last season 9th
Highest for 51 years, an impressive effort after promotion.
This season 13th
Winning only one of last 10 games was ominous.
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