Perspective is an interesting thing in football, especially when it comes to teams like Birmingham City.
Birmingham City are not well known for their illustrious history in regards to trophies and success. Their supporters are dedicated, passionate and St Andrew’s can be an intimidating place when full, but when it comes to intimidation on the pitch they have been lacking for a long time. Five years ago, however, the Blues were experiencing something that many fans never thought would happen – European football.
In September 2011 the Midlands side were adjusting to life back in the Championship following their relegation on the final day of the season back in May. While that campaign did provide some misery, it also gave Birmingham their finest hour when they defeated Arsenal 2-1 at Wembley to win the League Cup Final.
A stint in the Europa League was to follow where they reached the group stages of the competition and even got some wins under their belt against Nacional, Maribor and Club Brugge. They bowed out in third place, but the fans were still proud of what they had accomplished.
With Chris Hughton at the helm they also went on to reach the play-off semi-finals where they were defeated by Blackpool. In the grand scheme of the season it seemed as if there was success to speak of, but behind the scenes the club was slowly unraveling. So that begs the question of whether or not fans would choose to go back if they were given the option today.
The smart guess is no. Despite the great nights that were had at St Andrew’s over this 12 month period, misery and failure was to follow in the years to come. It is nice to be able to look back and remember what happened, but in the present day things are looking increasingly promising under new manager Gary Rowett.
He seems to be getting the club back on track and ready to make another push for promotion, which is exactly what they should be aiming for. Birmingham have come a long way in five years, and steps are being made to finally move forward once again.
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