"With the current players" - Darren Anderton eases Birmingham City, Chris Davies concern | OneFootball

Darren Anderton has given his verdict on Chris Davies' appointment as Birmingham City manager

Highlights

Darren Anderton is not concerned about the appointment of Chris Davies as the new Birmingham City manager.

The 39-year-old arrived following the Blues’ relegation to League One last season, with the team set to compete in the third tier for the first time since 1995.

Davies is taking on his first role in management, having previously worked as an assistant coach under Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou.

The young coach has been with Swansea City, Liverpool, Celtic, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the past, and is now taking the step-up to become the main man in the dugout.

Birmingham will be eyeing automatic promotion straight back to the Championship at the first attempt, putting immediate pressure on the new manager to perform straight away.

Darren Anderton’s Chris Davies verdict

Anderton is not worried about the appointment of Davies by Birmingham at all.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, he said: “No, I don’t think so [that it’s a gamble].

“Chris Davies can get his message across to the players as Birmingham look to bounce back to the Championship at the first attempt.

“Plus, with the current players at his disposal, plus any quality additions, Birmingham City will have a good squad available.”

Birmingham endured a very difficult first campaign under new ownership, with US businessman Tom Wagner taking control of the club last year.

Five different coaches oversaw the first team squad, as the team ultimately finished 22nd in the table.

Wagner will be hoping that Davies will not need to be replaced any time soon, having signed a four-year deal with the Midlands outfit.

This will keep him at St. Andrew’s until the summer of 2028, showing supporters that there is a long-term plan in place for the team.

Wagner is also keen to invest in the club’s infrastructure, with plans in place to develop a new home stadium.

Birmingham’s summer transfer plans

Birmingham will be hoping to make use of the summer transfer window in order to improve their first team squad.

Ryan Allsop has already arrived as the club’s first new addition of the year, with further additions likely.

It has been reported that the Blues will have up to £20 million to spend in the summer, which should be more than enough to bring high-quality League One players into the fold.

The club has been linked with the likes of Marc Leonard and Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Davies gamble is an exciting one for Birmingham

Davies has earned a lot of coaching experience as an assistant manager, which could indicate the style of play he will prefer.

If he tries to replicate what Postecoglou has done at Spurs then that could be a very exciting brand of football for Blues’ supporters.

It will be a big test for Davies as the Birmingham job will come with a lot of pressure to perform immediately, with automatic promotion the target.

But if he can hit the ground running, then this could prove a shrewd and much-needed long-term appointment by the new owners after a disastrous first 12 months in charge of the club.