Birmingham City are going through a seriously tough patch in the Championship right now but after the huge 1-0 win over Fulham at St Andrews on Saturday, things are finally heading in the right direction.
Gianfranco Zola, who arrived in controversial circumstances after Gary Rowett’s sacking, has won just one game in charge but the jury is still out on whether he is the man to take the club forward.
But for the first time in what feels like years, Birmingham fans have seen some real financial investment in the squad this January and some supporters are certainly feeling optimistic that in time, the results will slowly come together.
Zola has had more money to spend than any other manager we’ve seen at the St Andrews helm in recent years and the key to turning this season around will be integrating them all into a squad that is capable of winning week in, week out.
So, with that in mind, here’s our Birmingham City XI that Zola should be picking to turn fortunes around…
GK: Tomasz Kuszczak
There’s little doubting veteran goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak has had an extremely decent campaign indeed and he should be void of most criticism aimed at the team as a whole over the past few weeks.
Goalkeepers are only as good as the back-four protecting them and it’s clear Birmingham’s current problems lie further up the pitch, not between the sticks.
LB: Cheick Keita
It’s common knowledge, the majority of Birmingham City supporters are absolutely sick to death of seeing Jonathan Grounds line-up at left-back.
The former Oldham man does not improve this defence in the slightest and he’s been poor over the past few weeks.
Whether breaking him in is an issue or not, Blues fans want to see exciting young talent Cheick Keita come into the first-team, who we saw for the first time against Fulham, winning the Man of the Match award.
He’s an extremely promising young player indeed and one way to get him involved is to quite simply see how he gets on in the first-team.
CB: Michael Morrison
Michael Morrison has been playing through the pain barrier for the past few weeks now and his performances have certainly dropped because of that.
But long-term, he’s still Birmingham’s matchday captain and a player who brings a definite ability to the middle of defence when he’s on his game.
He needs to get injury-free and back to his best if Birmingham are to climb the table once again.
CB: Krystian Bielik
Ryan Shotton is another player who could be set for a spell on the sidelines with a groin injury and, whist Paul Robinson is a good shout to fill the void, young Arsenal defender Krystian Bielik will be keen to prove his worth in the coming months.
The young Polish defender hasn’t had much first-team experience at Arsenal over the past few months and the chance to step down to the Championship to continue his development could be a defining moment in his career.
RB: Emilio Nsue
Despite promising youngster Josh Dacres-Cogley signing a new three-year deal with the club in recent weeks, Emilio Nsue is certainly the first-choice right-back going forward.
The former Middlesbrough man is working hard to build up his match fitness after limited opportunities at the Riverside this season but there’s promise his pace will cause problems to opposition sides this season.
Getting him fit is Zola’s first task and the rest should fall into place here.
CM: Craig Gardner
Craig Gardner has had a tough start to life back at his hometown club but with every single Birmingham fan behind his progress at St Andrew's, it’s clear he’s the man to really take the team forward in midfield.
He’s been ever-present in Zola’s midfield since making the move back to the second city and, when he gets up to speed, his danger and especially his shooting ability should come into play.
CM: David Davis
David Davis remains a big part of this Birmingham City XI going forward and the former Wolves man has plenty to offer the midfield under Gianfranco Zola.
He’s a real ball-winner and a man that covers plenty of ground closing down opposition midfielders. Of course, there are more talented players in the division but when it comes to hard work and endeavour, you’re not going to get much better than David Davis.
CM: Maikel Kieftenbeld
A Gary Rowett favourite, Maikel Kieftenbeld will hope his position in the side isn’t jeopardised too badly after the appointment of Gianfranco Zola.
The Dutchman is another player who is a real midfield tyrant and someone who is there to break up the play and bring the ball out of midfield.
He’s a man that’s certainly not been at his best over the past few weeks but we’ve seen heroics from him in the past and Birmingham fans will hope he can replicate that going forward.
LW: Kerim Frei
By far one of the liveliest of Gianfranco Zola’s signings, Kerim Frei has done a very good job of settling into the Birmingham City XI in recent weeks.
The former Besiktas man has featured consistently since joining the club and you get the impression he just needs a goal under his belt to give his confidence a real boost.
He brings plenty of pace, ability and skill to the Blues flank and if the team can give him good delivery, he should be a real nuisance for opposition sides in the second-half of the campaign.
ST: Lukas Jutkiewicz
Zola’s first signing was Lukas Jutkiewicz, who joined Blues from Burnley in a £1million deal earlier in the transfer window.
The veteran forward is going through somewhat of a dry spell of late but he’s more than shown he’s up to carrying the line in earlier games this season and he popped up with a 75th-minute winner against Fulham too.
He’s missed good opportunities in recent weeks but he’s a player that will certainly get firing with good service.
LW: Che Adams
Che Adams is another player who hasn’t been banging in the goals of late but the former Sheffield United youngster has the potential to be an excellent player for the Blues.
He’s often been played out wide due the Lukas Jutkiewiz’s arrival at the club but for now, the speedy forward will have to make do and try his best to get involved from the flank.
But again, with plenty of other players in this squad, he’s going through a bad patch and in time, his performances should pick up.