It has been another summer of change at Birmingham City, with the club turning to Aitor Karanka to succeed Pep Clotet as manager.

To many, that appeared a shrewd move. The Spaniard has proven himself at this level having won promotion to the Premier League with Middlesbrough and he is regarded as a good coach.

A raft of new signings have followed and the first few weeks have given reason for optimism, with Blues unbeaten in four games having collected six points.

Clearly, improvements can still be made but there's a solid base for Karanka to build on and here we look at TWO trends we've seen emerge since the season began...

A defensive solidity

Blues have conceded just two goals in four games, keeping two clean sheets in the process, which is a very good start.

Perhaps most pleasing of all for Karanka, it's been a real team effort. The forward players understand the roles they have and Blues often get into a good defensive shape that makes them hard to break down and dangerous on the counter.

As well as that, the back four and new keeper Neil Etheridge are playing well and seem a strong unit.

Quiz: Can you name these 10 ex-Birmingham City midfielders?

A lack of goals

Despite the positive start, there's no getting away from the fact Blues have looked toothless on occasions.

They have scored three goals in the league and two came from corners and the other was a penalty. So, creating chances and finishing them off is a real worry even at this early stage.

It could force Karanka into the market and another one or two new faces in the final third may transform this Blues side.