- Home
- Birmingham City
- Current Squad
- Adam Legzdins
- Jonathan Grounds
- Paul Robinson
- Ryan Shotton
- Maikel Kieftenbeld
- Robert Tesche
- Stephen Gleeson
- Clayton Donaldson
- Diego Fabbrini
- David Cotterill
- Rhoys Wiggins
- Che Adams
- Lukas Jutkiewicz
- Viv Solomon-Otabor
- Jacques Maghoma
- Greg Stewart
- Jonathan Spector
- David Davis
- Michael Morrison
- Tomasz Kuszczak
- Paul Caddis
- Development Squad
- Academy
- Ladies Team
- Sophie Baggaley
- Alex Windell
- Meaghan Sargeant
- Jess Carter
- Kerys Harrop
- Freda Ayisi
- Kirsty Linnett
- Bella Linden
- Andrine Hegerberg
- Abbey-Leigh Stringer
- Melissa Lawley
- Charlie Wellings
- Chloe Peplow
- Rebecca Lloyd
- Connie Schofield
- Emily Westwood
- Cheryl Edwards
- Corina Schröder
- Ashlee Brown
- Coral-Jade Haines
- Aoife Mannion
- Ann-Katrin Berger
- Out on Loan
- Former Players
- Boards and Advisors
- Appearance Data 2014/2015
- Current Squad
- Factfiles
- Series
- Sponsorship
- Website Info
- Social Media
- Contact Me
The Closing Window
Tomorrow sees the loan deadline come upon us and the last chance to make a temporary signing until January 1. Blues have already brought in Michael Morrison on loan from Charlton (as well as Guy Moussi on a temporary deal) – will Rowett look to strengthen any further before the loan window clangs firmly shut?
Blues currently have three players on the books on loan – the aforementioned Morrison who is with us until December 31 (but who can be recalled by Charlton on 24 hours notice from Friday), Brek Shea who is on loan from Stoke City until December 13 and Grant Hall who is with us until the end of the season with no break clause inserted.
I’m guessing the temptation is there among fans to think about who else we could bring in – despite our recent good run of form there is no doubt that the team could be strengthened further – and I will admit from a personal point of view I’d like us to bring in another striker for example (although I’d be happy with seeing Nikola Zigic back in Royal Blue).
However, I don’t think we will sign anyone – not so much because we can’t afford it but maybe because we don’t need anyone right this second. One of the things I’ve noticed about Gary Rowett since he has taken charge is that he is definitely in favour of quality over quantity – and that he doesn’t seem to want to bring in bodies as “cover” in the same way as Lee Clark did. Although there are a few long term injuries Blues do have a first team squad of 29 players which is a lot – and doesn’t include the five youngsters out on loan nor 15-year-old Josh Martin (who seems to have vanished as quickly as he appeared).
If anything, I think the loan window is our last chance to get some of our fringe players into first team football elsewhere. I think it would do Reece Brown’s education some good for him to get some more first team football under his belt at League One level; it would be helpful for Olly Lee’s career (which I suspect will be with another club soon enough) if he got to play elsewhere too. I think it’ll be too soon for Matt Green (who is still coming back from injury) but I think he too would benefit from going out to play for another club as he regains full fitness.
As much as we’ve complained in the past about being a selling club I’d be quite happy if we did trim the squad down a bit this winter; I think we’d be better off with a squad of 22 plus the youngsters coming through – continuing to develop our own talent from within rather than giving game time to players from big clubs who we could either never sign or wouldn’t want to sign.
One signing that the club has made (and in honesty was probably the worst kept secret in Birmingham) is Colin Tattum, who has taken over the reins from Andy Walker as Head of Communications and Media. I’m impressed that the club has taken someone on who cares as deeply about it as Tatts and I look forward to seeing what direction he will take the media side of things.
Tags: Colin Tattum, Gary Rowett, Loans
91 Responses to “The Closing Window”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Do you have any idea if we will be able to extend the loan of Morrison until the end of the season?
I’d imagine that will be GR’s top priority!
I am glad Tatts is on board.
Interesting career move for Tatum, given recent articles by you and he re his fall out with Lanny and the latter’s possible return…..
Who is Lanny?
Doesn’t he mean pannu?, I would have thought, if PP does come back Tatts will be fired first day I would imagine! Another reason for hoping there is no comeback for the money grabbing twat!
myself i would prefer GR continuing developing our homegrown players, where a few in the u21 what either need going out on loans, or teasing into the fold of our 1st team. Only GR will know who’s in his plans for now and in the future….Very pleased Clark gave the opportunity to ours youngsters hopefully GR will follow suit.
Clark brought plenty of youngsters through and then either bombed them out for no reason, or replaced them with lower quality youngsters from bigger clubs. I’m not sure he’s the genius of youth development that some people make him out to be.
maybe you are right, GRAY possible sale at a handsome profit, previous midfielder to Cardiff at a handsome profit not bad hey…
Yeah brilliant Mark.Who will see that profit ? Not GR.
You mean Mutch? He was hardly discovered by Clark, was he? Gray has only stepped up properly to the first team this season, so he’s irrelevant. I challenge you to come up with two other examples where Clark introduced a youngster slowly to the first team, let them settle in, then played them on merit (and then have gone on to bigger and better things). I bet you can’t – because he never did that.
It was always straight in out of nowhere, straight out a month later (Arthur, Brown). Or in and out based on total chaos theory rather than form (Hancox, Reilly). He would pick youngsters in the team, but he had no idea how to handle them and bring them forward after that. The only youngster whose career he actively tried to develop was Olly Lee. And we all know why that was.
Tom Adeyemi
whether you like or not clark was very active in promoting our young players, they were given every opportunity to excel, and whether you like or not they will equally have dips in form.. ..
The players hold their own destiny it is up to them to reach their own potential….hancox and Packwood have both tasted first team football they have raised their own bar of where they want to be…..it up to both of them, and others to keep that bar raised…..
Clark’s gone Mark.Get over it and move on.
well other commentators still like to talk about him….haven’t you noticed…..lol
I think one or two will go out on loan but getting zigic in on any sort of deal would be good enough for me by tomorrow though he’s not with any other club so there’s no absolute rush on that one so happy days for me at the moment.. Lol&kro
Let’s hope we can beat Arsenal to his signing ;-)))
i wonder how long GR mulling over the ziggy situation before he sets him on his way?/
I would have thought GR could see in a few U21 games if ziggy worth a decent punt….or maybe ziggy realized he got to work even harder under GR…
Why don’t you just give it a rest pro-Clark anti-Zigic Mark. So boring ….
I am definately not boring Mrs Crosby……
Yes Mark. You are boring.
You may not be boring, you can not spell and your grammar leaves a lot to be desired.
sorry I did not realize it was a grammar test. To belittle someone of their grammar when its all about opinions leaves lot to desire about you mate. If you cannot accept someone opinion why dont you do one.
Mark’s protector is back.
sorry Mrs Crosby Lee given a better account than me…..well some fans are just too honest..have a chat with him.
Lee who ?
obviously you dont read other commentators comments lol am still boring
Thought you mean’t your hero again.
What drivel! Boring boring drivel!!
GR has already decided he DOES want Zigic ‘at the right price’, it is now down to Zigic.
I to would promote bringing youth through, but not at the cost our league status. We need the right players in, with the right quality and attitude to push us away from the bottom 3 as quickly as possible.
i hope we release Brek Shea, he’s added nothing.
Even allowing for the fact we have a large squad, I’d like to see more cover at RB; although Caddis has done well of late. Anyone know when Eardley is back [before he gets another injury!]? Actually, I will be interested to see if GR can get more out of Eardley; he always looked decent when he played against us.
Don’t forget Spector – Is he injured?
Eardley was on the bench against Rotherham, so I would assume that’s he’s fit now.
Interesting about Tatts: he is now poacher turned gamekeeper. He’s got to be a bit of a cheerleader for the club, whereas at the Mail he could take a pop at the club if he wanted to do. But on balance I think his experience means that the job will be filled by someone of quality. Good move — in fact Tatts could help raise the profile of the club in wider circles. Good appointment.
Even if Matt Green was near fitness in January, his contract is up 2 July. Not worth sending him anywhere. He has played nine times.
I think with Zigic possibly coming on board and Matt Green on his way back, we’ll be sorted up front.
I think uncertainty remains over Morrison. If Charlton do recall him, which is a possibility considering how well he’s playing, then we’ll be back to having Edgar and Robinson, with Hall as back up. Maybe that’s why Packwood has gone out on loan, to get some game time just in case.
Totally unrelated, but Darren Bent has gone to Brighton on loan. Never saw that one coming.
this opportunity for Packwood to rejuvenate, and get into GR thoughts, just as Arthur did when playing out on loan previously…..
Denny Johnstone keeps scoring for the U21’s as well Staffs.
I’d really like to see Johnstone given a go. Same with Green and Duffy. They can’t be written off just because they haven’t played for the first team much so far. I’m really looking forward to seeing Duffy in the team with orders to attack. He’s one of the few players we have who can actually unlock a defence with his speed and skill.
I think we need to try and sign Morrison on a permanent contract if he goes back to Charlton I think defence will fall apart again.
But how much will they be asking? He’s not long signed a new contract and he’s at the right age… so I would say anywhere from £500k to £1m. I would think that’s way out of our range.
According to the BM, Blues have failed in a bid to bring in Wolves player Michael Jacobs on loan.
What was that about overloading with midfielders? lol
So good to have Tatts aboard after Andy. Colin Tattum’s stories in the Birmingham Mail have always been the first ones I have looked at when opening the internet, since I know he always presents his points from a journalistic view and not, like many other websites, just copy things.
I was curious when Tatts said he would quit the Mail without saying anything more and this is the job I expected him to get after Andy Walker left for England.
So, it feels so good to have him here, then.
Moussi signs for us and gives his wages to charity, giraffe has cost us 16m, is 34 and hasn’t even trained let alone played since last season and still wants more than he’s worth, which is basically nothing, let’s hope he tears a hamstring and this problem goes away
Ouch! Tell us what you really think lol
You know what he’s asking for then Lee ?
Whatever it is, it’s too much, not only because if it were the right amount he would have signed the deal by now, but also because he’s not worth sh*t
He’s been offered a deal then ?
According to @85coy gr does want giraffe but at the right price, and it’s now down to the long legged streak of useless p*ss, go and ask him, he knows more than I do
Rowett said in the Mail that he would like him,but no talk of a deal. I thought you knew more as you were making statements.
I think you know where I’m coming from, you just like being a smart arse
It’s a lot like wanting pannu back at the club, I think we deserve a massive break now, particularly from the likes of them 2, Donaldson is doing very nicely thankyou and so is pavlakis, pair of em can p*ss off
Strange how we never see Pavlakis and Pannu together..Is Pannu Pavlakis in a Fat Suit..alter egos?? one being evil the other not so evil?
We need another striker badly!! I don’t think what we have is really strong enough especially with winter and injuries it brings.,Spector out(always injured),Eardley out(poor),Shea out(headless chicken)for starters …gets some deadwood off the payroll
Pavlakis has done more good in 5 minutes at the club than pannu ever did, the place has a buzz about it again, no coincidence that fat boys been off the scene, we can only hope he doesn’t get the vote, he doesn’t in any way shape or form deserve it, why he wants back in can only be financial because he’s certainly not wanted at any level by sounds of it, guys got the skin of rhino, if he had put as much effort into the welfare of bcfc as he did into his own personel gain could you imagine where blues could be right now? Breathtaking just thinking about it
Think we need some cover up front if we need anything before this deadline.If Donaldson broke down we’d be left with Johnstone (untried) Thomas (banned) Green (injured) Novak (crap). Something like what Brighton have done with Bent would be nice.
As lee rightly says it would be great to get zigic back on board again and strengthening our upfront options and were all happy about that aren’t we lee …great glad to hear it!!!…. Zigic the legend will be welcome back fondlyxxxxxxx lol & kro
Not sure about welcomed back fondly dave, but he’ll be a useful addition to the attack… at under £10k of course. I wouldn’t be against it.
I think there will be a loud cheer when he comes on for the first time Staffs.i think the majority will welcome him back.
I understand where Lee’s coming from. The limbo we were in last season and the one before was all the more frustrating because we could see the money going down the drain. The club’s management had incompetently failed to include a relegation clause in Zigic’s contract and, with no other club wanting to match his salary (even on a free), he became a focal point for our desperation.
If you draw a line, though, under all of that and just look forward, the question is this: Would the Blues squad be better for the remainder of the season if Zigic agreed to fit in to the current wage structure and accept the role of squad rotation/backup?
For me, I think it’s a yes. He does get results. Without him, we wouldn’t have won the League Cup and we’d now be in League One.
it about being a complete package as a footballer, team player, a good role model around the younger players, commitment and desire, training ethic if ziggy can show all these things then yes he should be given opportunity, and agree the right terms i have no problems………..you get a couple of bad influences in a team then the recipe is not right.
Don’t send Reece Brown out play him
Zigic expected to be offered a deal today (Thu.) BM
Waiting with bated breath staffs for the outcome of the Nicola zigic saga… Trully hope he signs a deal of some sort and maybe just maybe he could be on the bench for forest because Gary’s said is fitness is not a problem If coming of the bench for the last 20 mind or so but it’s the work permit to sort out but then it could be all systems go … Come on big man you know you want to!!!! Lol&kro.
One thing that I liked in the article with Rowett, is that it seems he won’t be held to ransom by Zigic… and that’s exactly as it should be. The tables have turned now and it’s the club who hold all the cards, not Zigic or his agent.
Staffs…. Agreed. I would have him on non-contract terms at pay as you play.
Staffs , what makes you think Zigic was trying to hold anyone to ransome? How do you know how the negotiations went ? seems a very funny comment coming from someone usually as level headed as you , has a certain someone hacked your log-in name ?
I’m just going on what Rowett has said this week. He basically said that they’ll make him an offer, then see how much he wants to play for the club. Seems pretty plain to me.
i will be gutted if we cant get the work permit sorted.
They will have to hurry up, the window closed 10 minutes ago, unless it is Ok to sign out of contract players, I wouldn’t know.
Denny Johnstone has joined Macclesfield Town on loan. He needs to play competitive games.
It’s a shame he hasn’t been given a chance with us, with Thomas being out for 3 games.. but I agree, he needs competitive football if he’s going to progress.
Just thinking.. with Johnstone going out and Novak now being our only available alternative to Donaldson, maybe Rowett is confident of signing Zigic?
surprised by that considering the lack of options.Even if Zig signs he won’t be up to speed yet.
Rowett intimated that he doesn’t need to be fully fit for the last 15-20 minutes of a game.
Looks a done deal to me staffs…no green,no Johnstone and Thomas out for a couple of games with Novak out of favour it looks a certainty …I bloody hope so! Lol&kro kro
At the end of the day, the closing of the loan market doesn’t affect Zigic’s signing, as he’s a free agent. I think that’s why Rowett is prepared to wait it out. It appears that he’s made an offer and is now waiting to see if Zigic is going to accept. But as we’ve both alluded to, Rowett must be fairly certain that he’ll sign, surely he wouldn’t leave us so short up front if he wasn’t?
Even if Zigic signs he won’t be a starter. GR has already said as much in the BM. What happens if Donaldson breaks down? We just look light up front to me.
I think that if Zigic signs, we should have enough. Donaldson as the one up front, with Novak and Zigic on the bench and Thomas being available again for the Reading game. Then there’s Matt Green who’ll hopefully be back sooner rather than later. That would give us 5.
Zig is there to get you a goal in the last 15 mins at best the way I see it. Green isn’t going to figure until the new year at least. I would have kept Johnstone with us but that’s just my opinion.
well done to GR for praising his predecessor in the collection of players at his disposal shame there some commentators on here who are not man enough to do that……….not a negative bone in his body….wonderful…kro
Mark you really are an idiot, Clark used the scatter gun approach in signing players for every dozen he signed he maybe got one who could play at first team level.
Hes still at it at Blackpool he must have signed a dozen at least all in a fortnight,
try reading it again Tony instead spouting off…..
YOU should read what most posters put ,Mark. Posters on here have praised Clark for some of his signings, what the majority have complained about is that Clark hasn’t got any tactical nous whatsoever. He would make a good Talent Scout or maybe Coach, but as a Manager is out of his depth, and proved it,far too often
.
yes Chas maybe there were mistakes by Clark,…..but I disagree with you regarding the players they let him down very badly…..especially when he bought them in to give them opportunity to play at another level or to stay within the championship…..we agree to disagree…….sorry if you still disagree….
Lee who ?
well done to GR for praising his predecessor in the collection of players at his disposal shame there some commentators on here who are not man enough to do that……….not a negative bone in his body….wonderful…kro
Doesn’t say much for Clark if the Rowett thinks the squad is decent.
Trevor Francis day against Forest!! A great servant to both clubs..what we wouldn’t give for a modern day Trev Francis up front!!!
Just hope the fans forget about their differences with the board and turn up to support TF tomorrow.
If Gary rowett praises lee Clark for the squad he’s left him then fair play because I’ve always though it was good enough for the higher reaches of this division and hopefully Gary rowett will prove that… But that’s the difference between the managers because lee Clark didn’t get the best out of the players, rowett is and will continue to do so IMO! Lol&kro……. On Trevor Francis, what can you say that hasent already been said, enough said!!!!
What can you say about Clark and Rowett that hasn’t already been said??? enough said?