Birmingham City secured their Championship safety with a win at Derby County over the weekend that continued their fine form under Lee Bowyer.

The former player was appointed as Aitor Karanka's successor last month and he was inheriting a club in a mess. With fans livid at key figures at the club, Blues were struggling on the pitch and appeared to be heading to League One.

However, he has galvanised the group and a return of 17 points from his eight games is automatic promotion form.

Whilst there are still games to play, Bowyer will already have one eye on next season and here we look at TWO things that will change at Birmingham ahead of the next campaign...

The mood around the club

As touched upon, Bowyer took over a club in disarray, with the fans understandably furious at how things have gone for their club.

Of course, the support will still have issues with the hierarchy, and rightly so. But, when they return to the stadium there will be a different mood around the club.

There will be optimism, excitement and a belief that Bowyer can bring the good times back. As a result, St. Andrew's could be back to its hostile best next season with a real bond between the team and the fans.

The calibre of player they can attract this summer

Following on from that, Bowyer's work has made Blues a team that are attractive to potential new signings.

They are no longer a club heading nowhere and players will want to play for the new boss and be part of what he is building at Birmingham.

In such a competitive market, that could give Blues an edge over some clubs and Bowyer may now be aiming higher than he was in the market than when he took over.