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.