Discovery+ and Quest pundit Jobi McAnuff believes that Lee Bowyer is doing a good job at Birmingham City at a club where expectations are always high.

The Blues have not finished higher than 17th in the Championship in any of the last five seasons, making it pretty remarkable that they have not been relegated, but there have been plenty of reasons for optimism since Bowyer arrived in March and Birmingham look a more accomplished second tier side.

Any hopes of a play-off push look a little bit unrealistic but they have avoided any relegation anxieties as we edge towards the January transfer window which is an achievement in itself. The Blues have suffered injuries to key players in the last couple of months but Bowyer has stayed loyal to his 3-5-2 system and will be hoping to break into the top half in victory over Cardiff City on Saturday.

When asked to assess the job Bowyer is doing, Jobi McAnuff exclusively told Football League World:

"Clearly he's doing a good job when you look at the previous positions that the club has finished. There's certainly been an improvement in results at Birmingham.

"When you're at a club the size of Birmingham, there's always an expectation that you should be doing better. If they finish top half or above they've had a really good season."

With how poor some of the teams towards the bottom of the division have performed this term, it feels a little hard to quantify the fortunes of the clubs competing comfortably above them but not towards the top end. Blues supporters will welcome a season of stable consolidation with open arms and be hoping that it will provide a platform to build from under Bowyer in the coming campaigns.