“Welcome to the jungle, we got fun and games
We got everything you want, honey, we know the names
We are the people that can find whatever you may need
If you got the money, honey, we got your disease”
From the off on Saturday it was clear that Blues are trying to draw a line under last year.
And while I don’t know if it was because Tom Wagner is a secret GNR fan or the marketing department wanted a more intimidating entrance for the teams, I can’t think of too many songs that felt as appropriate as that one did pre-match on Saturday.
Although Blues weren’t quite able to bring Ruben Selles’s Royals to their knees, there was definitely a glimpse of what might come this season at St Andrews on the pitch.
Off it, there were the inevitable teething troubles due at the first home game after so many changes, but again, there is definitive evidence of just how far Knighthead can push things even before Blues move to the Wheels site.
A Difficult Start
As much as I was feeling confident before the game there was always an inevitability that Blues were going to return to Earth with a bump once the “real ball” came out and for long period of the game against Reading it did feel like once again, “typical Blues” was going to strike.
Yet it also became clear as the game wore on that this season’s Blues are a very different prospect from the horror of last season.
The biggest difference was the quality of changes that Blues boss Chris Davies could make from the bench to switch things up.
With all three of Siriki Dembele, Willum Willumsson and Koji Miyoshi struggling to impact the game for varying reasons, it was clear changes were going to be needed – and it didn’t take Davies long to pull the trigger on them.
All three subs for those players – Emil Hansson, Luke Harris and Keshi Anderson – looked good when they came on and as the Royals tired and started to cramp up Blues were able to really assert some dominance in the game.
For me, this is going to be the key to how Blues do this time out.
Having strength in depth allows Blues to have real options off the bench; not just to switch up who is playing but to properly adjust tactics and tempo.
Being able to make good substitutions also ensures that Blues can really run at tired defences, forcing them into mistakes which can become chances.
I genuinely think Saturday won’t be the only game this season where we pick up a late penalty thanks to a defender struggling to maintain the required tempo against us for 90 minutes.
From a cynical perspective, I think having a strong squad should also reinforce in the mind of players that they do not have a guaranteed shirt and that they will need to play to a high standard to keep hold of it.
As fans, we’re going to have to get used to possession-based football where Blues are trying to find gaps and mistakes to exploit.
I know that there was some moans as Blues passed it from side to side, and I don’t think I was the only fan feeling nervous as Blues knocked it around their own box.
And sure, I counted five diagonal balls to the right which sailed into the stands rather than finding their man but I do believe that will quickly improve.
And when it does – it just might be that teams will see why so many Blues fans are confident going into this season.
Yet it wasn’t just on the pitch where it was obvious that not all the changes made this summer were effective yet.
Technical Difficulties
I think it’s safe to say that it was not the best week before the first game due to the issues surrounding delivery of matchday and season tickets.
Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be Armageddon outside the ground in the minutes before kickoff and it looked to me like everyone who should have been there was.
While not all changes around the game have been completed, there was enough evidence to see just how far St Andrew’s has come since that fateful day last July when Tom Wagner and Knighthead took charge in B9.
As someone who sits in the GML, I didn’t get chance to check out the new Box to Box bar or any of the stuff on the Kop side of the ground.
However, it was interesting to see the changes made to the concession area underneath the GML.
Automatic payment points have now been located against a wall to the side so that the staff behind the counter no longer had to deal with that side of the job.
Having a full stand meant the system properly got stress tested and it was clear that there were queues.
For example, one of the crew of people I sit with missed a good few minutes of the second half due to standing in the queue to get their hot chocolate – and they confirmed that it wasn’t as smooth an operation to collect their food as it could have been.
Likewise, the new WiFi system hasn’t been completely rolled out yet but interestingly I was able to connect to the internet via 5G during the game – something that was completely impossible in the stands last season.
There’s a good three weeks now to the next home game and in that time there is plenty of opportunity for the club to add all the finishing touches to the new features as well as iron out some of the issues raised on Saturday.
And while I can imagine it might be seen by some that maybe Blues reached a little bit too far in what they wanted to do and ended up biting off a tiny bit more than they could chew, I think it’s important that the club try as hard as they can to excel in such a way.
Things To Come
With three weeks or so left of the transfer window it feels like Blues have got the bulk of their transfer business done – however it also feels clear that there are still gaps to fill.
I think it’s likely the next signing Blues will make will be right-back Alfons Sampsted from FC Twente in the Netherlands.
There has been chatter on the grapevine that a deal is close and should it be wrapped up it will help ensure Blues have both cover and competition at right back; something that is lacking especially as Josh Williams no longer has a squad number.
The big one everyone on social media seems to care about is the potential signing of Jay Stansfield from Fulham.
The forward had an incredibly successful spell with the club last season, sweeping the end of season awards and is clearly someone a lot of fans want to see come back to B9.
However, despite proclamations from some ITK types online it’s clear that a deal isn’t anywhere near as close as some might think.
I think I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Blues like Stansfield and are prepared to go big in an effort to sign him; however I’m less convinced that Fulham are happy to do a deal at the moment.
The fear has to be that this is a deal that could drag on until deadline day – and that there is no guarantee that this deal will complete at all.
Most Blues fans are in agreement that regardless of what happens with Stansfield, Blues need to bring in another striker as back up for Alfie May.
As much as Lukas Jutkiewicz is seen as a great player to have around the squad, I think he is at a point in his career where Blues shouldn’t rely on him as any more than a bit-part player and changing room leader.
I’m confident that Blues are in the market for a striker regardless of what happens with Stansfield; however, I’m also very aware that despite the belief of some online it’s not easy to sign a striker as every club wants to have a successful one.
This is particularly true when Blues are looking for players to have the right mentality and physicality; regardless of how much money Blues are willing to throw at a player it can be difficult to get their clubs to part with them.
I think the omission of Jordan James from the team on Saturday speaks volumes about his potential exit but again I do not feel that will be wrapped up quickly.
While Stade Rennais have made an offer, it’s apparent that there are other clubs hovering and I think they will now be forced to show their hands after the Ligue 1 side broke cover with their own bid.
The departure of James would mean that there will be space to bring in another central midfielder in as replacement; hopefully that will have been planned for this summer and Blues can get moving on that deal so that it can be put into place in the immediate aftermath of any move for James.
All this should bring one to the belief that as busy as the last two months have been in the transfer market, the work has not finished yet.
I’m hopeful that many fans feel the same way I do after Saturday; that despite the result not being quite what we hoped for and the ground not being completely finished, there is promise enough for the season ahead.
We’re one point and one goal down – hopefully, we’ve got 99 of each to come.