Tom Wagner is massively silencing Birmingham City critics, here's why | OneFootball

Tom Wagner has silenced the Birmingham City critics with their league positioning.

Tom Wagner is approaching the two-year anniversary of his investment into Birmingham City.

It is fair to say that his first full season didn't go as expected, with the Blues relegated to League One on the final day of the 2023-24 campaign despite seeing off Norwich City.

This set the majority shareholder back a few years in his plans, but he has adapted to the third tier effortlessly, with his substantial investment already yielding massive benefits.

Bluenoses are already gearing up for an immediate return to the Championship, and Wagner will be pleased that his decisions are starting to quieten the critics.

Birmingham City have silenced the critics

Birmingham supporters went into the summer disappointed, but it was fair to say by the time the season arrived they would have been confident about an immediate return to the Championship.

Wagner and Shelby Company Limited entered the 2024-25 transfer window with a clear plan, and they executed it to near perfection.

Breaking the League One transfer record three times, they secured a number of talented players, with standout signings including Christoph Klarer, Willum Thor Willumsson, and Alfie May.

However, the transfer that caught the eye and earned widespread attention was the £12 million move for Jay Stansfield from Fulham. This upset many across the division and supporters of other third-tier teams were disappointed with the disparity between themselves and Birmingham.

For the Blues, they couldn't afford to concern themselves with such talk, and new head coach Chris Davies has done a superb job of silencing the critics with his team's performances on the pitch.

After 32 games, Davies' side have accrued 76 points, and their latest victory over Wycombe Wanderers has given them a 14-point cushion over third-placed Wrexham. In addition, they have an EFL Trophy final to look forward to with Birmingham's win over Bradford City setting up a tie against last year's winners Peterborough United.

Such performance was expected by many, but it still needed to be delivered, and all the spending now appears justified, with City almost ready to fully prepare for life in the Championship.

Birmingham's relegation has provided Tom Wagner with the perfect reset

Birmingham would have ideally remained in the Championship for this campaign, but relegation to League One has provided them with a better opportunity to invest more in players.

This has seen Wagner create a team that looks prepared for the second tier and the likes of Tomoki Iwata, Stansfield and Klarer all look like players who could feature in the upper echelons of the tier above.

Not only that, but the relegation has instilled a winning mentality, which could work in their favour, as demonstrated by Ipswich Town, who showed the importance of maintaining momentum in the tier above as they secured back-to-back promotions.

The summer will likely see Wagner and Co. enter the market once again, and it wouldn't be surprising to see them invest heavily in their bid to challenge at the top of the Championship.

League One promotion now looks a certainty, and a bit of silverware would be a welcome reward for a fanbase that has endured multiple seasons of struggle.

The critics have been silenced, and Wagner will be delighted with the success of the decisions he's made over the past eight months.