Birmingham City were unfortunate not to pick up all three points at home to Cardiff City at the weekend, with the Blues being condemned to a 2-2 draw. 

Goals from Troy Deeney and Ivan Sunjic fired the hosts into a two-goal lead at the break, before Kieffer Moore and Mark McGuinness helped the visitor to restore parity. 

It is a result that leaves Lee Bowyer's side in 15th place but they now find themselves eight points from the play-off positions and eight points from the relegation zone. 

Birmingham will be hoping that this season will not slip into mediocrity after a positive start to the campaign, and will be hoping that a good start to 2022 could keep them in contention for a play-off spot. 

Here, we take a look at one winner and one loser from the current Birmingham squad in relation to how this campaign has started...

One winner - Riley McGree

Riley McGree has really announced himself to the Championship in what is his second spell at the club. 

The midfielder has shown that he has the attacking drive and cutting edge to make a real impact in the final third, but he has also proven to be a relentless and energetic presser of the ball. 

His intelligence and willingness to receive possession in tight spaces has helped progress play for Birmingham and he has certainly enjoyed his football at St Andrew's. 

One loser - Lukas Jutkiewicz

Lukas Jutkiewicz has long been a vital member of Birmingham's squad, featuring as a regular starter for a while in recent seasons. 

However, the arrival of Troy Deeney has hindered his progress with the Blues, as he is now more frequently deployed from the bench. 

Jutkiewicz's aerial present band strength make him an excellent option when going more direct, whilst he has displayed his goalscoring abilities for countless years. 

However, Deeney has come in and added something extra in the Birmingham frontline and Jutkiewicz will have to work hard to get back in contention.