Birmingham City’s January was a busy one with five new players through the door at St Andrew’s and what felt like two dozen leaving to go the other way.
It’s a theme that is pretty much guaranteed to reoccur over the course of the next few transfer windows too as Lee Bowyer continues to try and rebuild this Blues team from the ground up.
Whilst the squad is full of loans as it is now, there is always going to be great turnover unless the unlikely happens and those said loans become permanent during the summer.
But the positive news in the short term is the new additions to Bowyer’s squad all look incredibly promising.
Onel Hernandez has shown his class early doors, Teden Mengi looks a man with double his experience at the back and the more recent signings of Juninho Bacuna and Lyle Taylor look to have completed the jigsaw - in the forward areas at least.
And this is without Taylor Richards who is yet to suit up due to injury.
When the miracle does happen and the Blues have a fully fit squad at their disposal, the manager is going to have some tough selection headaches up the top end of the pitch.
Which begs the question, what is Bowyer’s best team when everyone is available?
The team needs to utilise the amount of attacking talent they now have and considering they look relatively thin at the back - four at the back seems to be the way forward from here on out.
Formation wise - I think the team suits 4-1-2-1-2 and this is how we’d line-up:
1. GK - Neil Etheridge
Firm number one now that Matija Sarkic has returned to Wolves.
2. RB - Maxime Colin
Hasn’t been at his best recently but is still Blues best option at right-back. Photo: Nigel French
3. CB - Teden Mengi
He’s been superb since his arrival on loan from Manchester United. Photo: Marc Atkins
4. CB - George Friend
On recent form I think Friend is the better option to Marc Roberts at centre-half. Photo: Nigel Roddis