"More than fair" - Reaction given to brutal Birmingham City comments from Tom Brady | OneFootball

Tom Brady delivered a brutal verdict on Birmingham City's 2023/24 squad. FLW's Blues Fan Pundit Callum said that it was a "fair assessment".

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

In Birmingham City's new Amazon documentary, minority owner Tom Brady gave a brutal verdict on the squad relegated to the third tier with the Blues in 2024.

In the documentary releasing on August 1, Brady described the club's players as "lazy and entitled" as they dropped to League One, while questioning the work ethic of manager Wayne Rooney.

Football League World's Birmingham City fan pundit Jason Moore was asked whether the comments regarding both the squad and Rooney were fair, and he could not help but say that they were a completely "fair assessment" as to just what was happening at the club during the tumultuous period.

Tom Brady's brutal quotes deemed "more than fair"

"I think the fact that Rooney was gone after 15 games, and we brought in 17 new players the summer after relegation, speaks volumes," said Jason.

"I think the comments are more than fair, and I don't think anyone involved has got much of a leg to stand on. I don't think many of the players can hold their heads high."

The Blues picked up 50 Championship points across the 2023/24 term, but were relegated to the third tier due to an awful 15-match period under Wayne Rooney in which Birmingham won just twice.

"I know it was a season of turmoil, but you still have to go out there and give it your all. At the end of the day, we got relegated, and it was simply not good enough. I think for football fans in general, we don't ask for much. You show up, give your all for your club's shirt."

"And when it comes to Rooney, after two wins in 15, questions about his work rate do not surprise me at all," Jason concluded.

Birmingham have since undergone a culture reset

Sometimes in football, a drop-down and reset can be crucial for a club. The previous League One points record of 103, which Birmingham smashed last term with 111 points accrued by the end of the term, was set by West Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2014.

Similarly to the Blues, Wolves disastrously dropped to League One after a dismal Championship campaign.

Kenny Jackett's arrival and subsequent stabilisation of the club set Wolves on a path that would eventually lead to both Premier League and European football.

Birmingham are looking to follow the same route, albeit a lot swifter. With the ambitious signings of Demarai Gray, Kyogo Furuhashi, Tommy Doyle and more, the Blues are looking likely to become one of the promotion contenders immediately after their ascent from the third tier.

With Chris Davies at the heart of things, the football side of operations at the club has been completely reset since relegation, and the Birmingham of now is a completely different proposition to the one that lined up in the Championship two seasons ago.

The Blues were poor in 2023/24, extremely so. However, the relegation that followed was somewhat of a blessing in disguise, with a complete cultural reset taking place that otherwise may not have, if Birmingham had secured their Championship safety 15 months ago.