It’s only been six months since Birmingham were relegated from the Championship to League One but they’ve already made English third-tier history.
Blues broke the division’s transfer record three times in the most recent window, blowing title and promotion rivals out of the water with between £20 million and £25 million’s worth of summer spending. The squad has been completely overhauled with such an unprecedented cash injection for this level and it’s paid off so far.
Second in the League One standings, two points behind leaders Wycombe Wanderers and with a game in hand, Birmingham are sitting comfortably. The quality of personnel is above and beyond that of every opponent but there’s still needed to be an adjustment period to a new era at the football club.
New manager Chris Davies has done a great job at instilling his high-tempo philosophy early doors, ensuring his players are the fittest in the division. Davies has incredibly high standards that will no doubt hold Birmingham in good stead for many years to come; beyond League One and into the Championship the hope for the equally ambitious ownership.
It’s not all roses for the clubs taking on Blues each week, however, as not one team can even dream of getting close to competing on a financial level. Whether it be employing dark arts, firing out of the blocks quickly or sitting deep and countering, Birmingham’s opponents have had to get inventive to even have a chance of a positive result.
Just one side - Charlton Athletic - have been able to overthrow Blues thus far and the scary thing is Davies’ men are yet to get up to full speed just yet. It’s difficult to see any other club winning the title than Birmingham - and that’s certainly riled up a few managers up and down the division.
To get a gauge of how Blues’ opponents so far have felt, we’ve collated the key quotes from their managers either before or after their clashes with Birmingham. Flick through the pages for a full run-through.
1. What every League One boss has said about Blues so far
Birmingham City are loving life under Chris Davies in League One, but rival managers aren't so entertained. | Getty Images
2. Ruben Selles (Blues 1-1 Reading)
“They are a good team and have been configuring a really powerful squad and it will be a good challenge for us, as it was playing Portsmouth and Derby last season. Everyone invests the money they have or want in the club as long as they can be sustainable. Not many clubs can support that level of finance." | Getty Images
3. Matt Bloomfield (Wycombe Wanderers 2-3 Blues)
“Birmingham City are going to get promoted this season. Absolutely - they remind me of what Ipswich did a couple of years ago. They’ve gone and recruited an incredible young coach, they’re spending millions and millions of pounds on the backroom staff, on the playing staff, on everything and there's no point spending all that money if you're not going to do it right. They're doing it right and properly.” | Getty Images
4. Richie Wellens (Leyton Orient 1-2 Blues)
“They’ve got quality, obviously, but we were the better team and definitely should have got something out of it. I’m disappointed but proud because you only have to look at what they’ve got and what they’ve spent. We’re a team of free transfers – not one player of ours cost a penny. You look at the riches that they have and I thought we were better than them.” | Getty Images