“Completely out of context” - Troy Deeney responds after Birmingham City comments are criticised | OneFootball

Birmingham City captain Troy Deeney insists the culture at the club is good now after reflecting on what it was like when he joined in 2021.

The experienced striker signed for his boyhood club a few years ago after a hugely successful period with Watford, where he was predominantly in the Premier League.

Therefore, the switch to St. Andrew’s was a step-down at the time, and Deeney recently admitted on a podcast with Sam Warburton that it was very different when he went to Blues, with his quotes from that interview shared online. Given the analogy used, some criticised Deeney, claiming that he should’ve known what he walked into.

However, taking to Twitter, he made it perfectly clear that it wasn’t a dig at the club, instead highlighting how things have changed, and particularly the importance of maintaining high standards on a day-to-day basis.

“I know it's a slow news week, but taking that completely out of context, listen to the whole conversation about the importance of fines in sport in general. The boys are good, stop trying it please.”

Deeney, who is Blues’ second top scorer this season with seven in the league, hasn’t played for the past five weeks due to injury, but he is stepping up his return to fitness.

John Eustace’s side are back in action this weekend when they host promotion hopefuls Blackburn. A return of six points from their past three games has eased any relegation fears that Blues may have had following a disappointing start to 2023.

The verdict

This is a positive example of social media, as Deeney has seen the reaction from some fans to quotes from him, and he has immediately addressed them, which should put the issue to bed.

Clearly, the point he was making focused on how the culture of the club has improved since he arrived, and he explained that by mentioning the fines' system that’s now in place, whilst he also outlined the importance of being on time and not disrespecting teammates.

The supporters are going to agree with that, so it’s not really a problem. He has since received support from Jordan Graham on social media, which also gives an insight into the dressing room at Blues, and there’s clearly no problems. So, it’s now about focusing on football and getting another win on the board this weekend.