Junior Dixon, “legacy” of the Hong Kong period, and the possibility of
BirminghamLive offers up-to-date news about Birmingham, including the Q&A segment of the most recent Keep Right On podcast.
Even though the transfer window is officially closed, Birmingham City fans are still very much talking about transfers.
During the January transfer window, Blues added three new players: Alex Pritchard, Paik Seung-ho, and Andre Dozzell. Although Tony Mowbray would have preferred to recruit more players, the Blues were unable to clear off any players to make room on their roster.
This week’s episode of Keep Right On touched on that topic. For the most recent episode, BBC WM’s Blues reporter Richard Wilford (RW) joined Alex Dicken (AD) and Brian Dick (BD).
Following their discussion of the loss to West Bromwich Albion, the Blues’ standing in the Championship, their recent additions, Krystian Bielik, and much more, the three players responded to fan questions. This is the podcast’s transcript for the Q&A segment.
Which young players do you think will make the team on match day? Could Tony Mowbray blood Junior Dixon and other young players once we’re safe?
AD: “This podcast has discussed Dixon a lot. He has more than 15 goals this season for the under-21 team, and in September’s match against Preston, he was a substitute. Although he occasionally practiced with the first team, he hasn’t been in a first team squad since. It’s challenging since under-21 goals don’t really matter in terms of making the main team.
BD: “They have no significance. We’ve had players like Ronan Hale and Kyle McFarlane who scored a ton of goals in age groups without ever coming close to making their debut, and I don’t mean to sound cliché. Josh Andrews just joined Gillingham, and while I don’t think he made it into the first team, I did think he had a lot of raw talent. He might not be a goal scorer or plunderer. Lee Bowyer used to do this; with a few games remaining, they would take it safe and send a young team up to Blackburn to get thrashed. The natural response is that Romelle Donovan needs to be featured more.
Tony Mowbray made some intriguing remarks regarding unloading, but players’ reluctance to transfer. These remarks might be seen favorably or poorly. What are your thoughts?
RW: “This dates back to the Hong Kong period.” Some athletes have absurd contracts that they will never be able to afford in the future. Why would you go on in those circumstances? Even if someone receives a two-and-a-half year contract in January (I discussed this with Tony Mowbray), it’s unlikely that their pay will increase until the end of the season. Regarding Scott Hogan, whom Tony Mowbray has swiftly marginalized, it is not Hogan’s fault that he was awarded this exceptional four-year deal. It felt like an anchor around the football team’s neck the instant it was signed. His prior performances did not indicate that a four-year contract should have been granted to him. He is quite entitled to continue as it is not his fault that he is receiving that kind of compensation. In order to lure him away early, no one could have possibly offered him a two-and-a-half year contract since he hasn’t performed well enough in the final eighteen months of his career to secure a better offer elsewhere. You may argue that Gary Gardner needs to move on if he wants to continue playing football, and it can be the same for other players. There’s a guy who needs to move on, but he would kill for Blues. However, once more, his terms will be too favorable to back out of the agreement before its expiration.
