In the second part of a three-part analysis of Blues summer signings since relegation in 2011, we outline how much dealings impacted on the club as trouble continued to rumble off the field.
2016/17
Ins:
Ryan Shotton, Robert Tesche, Che Adams, Greg Stewart
Loans:
Lukas Jutkiewicz, Rhoys Wigggins, (Krystian Bielik and Craig Gardner joined on loan in January)
A season when things became ‘interesting’ again, and not for the right reasons.
In October, Trillion Trophy Asia became the club’s new owners, with a mystery hand on the tiller in the Far East.
In December, they took the controversial decision to sack Gary Rowett and replaced him with Gianfranco Zola, so sparking a soap opera that took many twists and turns until Knighthead Capital’s acquisition of Blues in July 2023.
Zola got the boot after four months, during which the team won just twice and dropped to 20th place. Harry Redknapp took charge for the final three games and Blues avoided relegation on the final day – Che Adams scoring at Bristol City.
During the summer window, Rowett had got on with the task as usual, unaware like the rest of us of the chaos to come.
Ryan Shotton was signed from Derby County, Robert Tesche arrived from Nottingham Forest and Blues opted to pin their faith in 20-year-old striker Adams, who came to St. Andrew’s for around £1.5 million from Sheffield United. Current head of recruitment Joe Carnall, who was a trusted lieutenant of Rowett’s as an analyst, was instrumental in pushing for Adams, incidentally.
There were high hopes for Greg Stewart, who was signed from Dundee, but his creative juices never really got flowing.
Loan-wise, a certain Lukas Jutkiewicz was offered the chance to revive his career after a long-term knee injury at Burnley.
Rhoys Wiggins looked promising on his debut against Aston Villa, but sadly he suffered serious knee damage and the Bournemouth left-back was never the same again.
As for exits, previous summer signings Nicolai Brock-Madsen (Zwolle) and Andrew Shinnie (Hibernian) left on season-long loans.
Hit: Che Adams
Miss: Greg Stewart
2017/18
Ins:
Craig Gardner (loan made permanent), Marc Roberts, David Stockdale, Cheikh Ndoye, Isaac Vassell, Harlee Dean, Maxime Colin, Jota, Jason Lowe
Loans:
Cohen Bramall, Sam Gallagher, Carl Jenkinson, Jeremie Boga, Liam Walsh
It was the summer of the trolley dash, when Blues went crazy and Sky Sports salivated at the prospect of Harry Redknapp buzzing down his car window at the entrance to Wast Hills on deadline day.
You had Redknapp, Dong Ren and de facto director of football Darren Dein doing deals, and there was also the actual director of football Jeff Vetere in the mix.
Redknapp didn’t get the all the players he preferred – Aden Flint, Joe Bryan, Stewart Downing and others – and when the dust settled on the final day of trading (after Alex Song’s move from Rubin Kazan was aborted on site at Wast Hills following a medical) there was a giddiness abound.
This was a brave new world after years of mismanagement and misery, surely? Blues were spending freely. They’d signed some big names and top players.
Alas, it all turned out very differently.
It was very scattergun the approach to the window.
For example, after Harlee Dean was signed from Brentford, the Bees made it clear they’d listen to offers for Maxime Colin, as well. Blues promptly bought him the next day, on the 31st of August, and then also a third Brentford star, Jota, was in transit to Middlesbrough before Blues decided to go for him too. He arrived at Wast Hills as darkness fell and became Blues record signing.
I always felt for the likes of Dean and Colin, two very good players for Blues who lasted the course amid so much turmoil season on season. They could hardly have imagined how things would turn out for their old and new club.
A fortnight after the transfer window shut, and on the back of one win in the opening eight games, Redknapp was sacked. Replacement Steve Cotterill lasted five months and Garry Monk was at the helm when Blues again won on the final day to stay in the Championship.
Hit: Maxime Colin
Miss: Jota
2018/19
Ins:
Kristian Pedersen, Lee Camp, Michael Luyambula, Cameron McGilp
Loans:
Connor Mahoney, Omar Bogle, Gary Gardner
Blues went into the season having failed to comply to the EFL’s profit and sustainability regulations. Transfer restrictions were imposed.
It came to light after the EFL refused to sanction the registration of Blues first summer signing, Union Berlin left-back Kristian Pedersen.
After much toing and froing, during which the EFL admitted they were “exceptionally disappointed” with Blues attitude, a deal was reached whereby the club agreed to a business plan restricting spending. Pedersen’s move was allowed to go through, but Blues could only thereafter make five further ‘main’ permanent signings, under severe conditions.
So, in came free agent Lee Camp, and a trio of loans, including Gary Gardner from Aston Villa.
Former Academy striker Omar Bogle’s loan didn’t fare well – four starts, 12 substitute appearances and one glorious goal, a curler against Stoke City on Boxing Day – before he was recalled by Cardiff City.
Blues tried to off-load high earners Tomasz Kuszczak and David Stockdale to no avail. Cheikh Ndoye was loaned out to Angers and Jonathan Grounds went to Bolton Wanderers.
An Independent Disciplinary Commission met later in March to mete out punishment for their financial infractions and Blues were docked nine points, which saw them drop from 13th to 18th in the Championship with eight matches to go.
The EFL said Blues incurred losses of nearly £48.8 million between 2015 and 2018 – almost £10 million more than the accepted adjusted losses of £39 million over a three-year period.
The panel heard that Blues spent £7.45 million on four new players in January 2017, when Gianfranco Zola was manager, and a further £23.75 million to add 14 players to the squad that summer, by which time Harry Redknapp had taken charge.
Blues managed to stay up – with two games to spare – as Che Adams’ 22 goals and his partnership with Lukas Jutkiewicz (14 goals, 10 assists) proved vital.
Hit: Gary Gardner
Miss: Omar Bogle
2019/20
Ins:
Gary Gardner, Jayden Reid, Dan Crowley, Ivan Sunjic, Ivan Guzman, Agus Medina, Alvaro Gimenez, Fran Villalba, Miguel Fernandez, Bernard Sun, Josh McEachran (free, end of September), Jeremie Bela (free, in November)
Loans:
Jake Clarke-Salter, Moha Ramos, Jefferson Montero
Garry Monk endured a messy departure as manager in June after falling out with Dong Ren. Pep Clotet took up the reins, with the title caretaker head coach, and Craig Gardner became player coach.
Blues were busy during what can be described as their Spanish summer, due to an influx of Spaniards through the club’s links with agents and their sister club Cornella – remember Ivan Guzman and Agus Medina?
Gary Gardner’s loan was made permanent. He was again reliable and redoubtable. And Blues splashed out a club record £6 million plus on Dinamo Zagreb’s Ivan Sunjic, on a five-year contract.
Jeremie Bela was a useful and tricky winger when Blues landed him eventually. He had been training with Blues in pre-season but couldn’t extricate himself from Albacete until November due to a contract dispute.
Blues got in trouble with the EFL again, having been accused of failing to adhere to an imposed business plan (they got away with a reprimand in the end), with arguments centring around the failure to sell Che Adams in January 2019. Adams did move on, in July, for around £16 million, to Southampton.
That August, Jude Bellingham became the club’s youngest ever player and then goalscorer, after he was promoted from within to Clotet’s first team squad.
Blues did begin to play a vibrant brand of football initially. Yet they received a mixed bag of outcomes from their various summer additions. Dan Crowley was clever, skilful yet inconsistent. Alvaro Gimenez didn’t deliver what you hoped. Fran Villalba was another fleet-footed creator who couldn’t stamp his authority on proceedings.
Sunjic was full of running and bite. He became a popular figure in his initial years.
Covid-19 forced football’s shutdown in March. The season finally finished on 15 July, 2020, after resuming in June behind closed doors.
After a 3-1 defeat by Swansea City at home, and with four games left and Blues in peril, Clotet left and Steve Spooner and Craig Gardner became caretakers, assisted by Mike Dodds.
Blues went winless after football returned but avoided relegation once more on the final day, thanks to results elsewhere and Wigan Athletic’s 12-point deduction for entering administration.
Hit: Ivan Sunjic
Miss: Fran Villalba
