Our writers concur regarding Birmingham City’s eight players who are not under contract: keep or release
The eight players that are not under contract for Birmingham City are discussed by the Keep Right On Podcast.
Right now, Birmingham City is thinking about those important contract issues that take center stage at every football club this time of year.
People’s perspectives on these choices can be altered by demotion, and this was evident in the most recent Keep Right On Podcast episode. Both Brian Dick (BD) and Alex Dicken (AD) have changed their minds since the Blues were demoted to League One.
Before it is made public, the released and retained list will be finalized in the next several days. At the end of June, eight senior Blues players will their contracts expire.
John Ruddy AD: “I don’t think his performances have been as bad as some people will let on. There have been a few mistakes, and I think he was responsible for a goal in the November loss to Blackburn Rovers—a lot was going wrong at that time.” Between Ruddy’s first and second seasons with the Blues, there may have been a slight but not appreciable drop off.
This season, the Blues have requested that their goalie play a little differently. John Eustace oversimplified Ruddy’s style of play, but Wayne Rooney put a strong focus on playing out of the back, and I don’t think Ruddy is the best player for that.
His performances improved with the arrival of Gary Rowett toward the conclusion of the season. He was dominant on set pieces and managed to keep four clean sheets in eight games. I wouldn’t say that he had a poor season.
BD: “It is something I agree with. Sadly, he was let down by the defense in front of him quite a few times. Ruddy was saying the right things in public and, I assume, wasn’t sitting on his hands in private meetings, but when leadership was lacking, I thought he was attempting to patch things up.
Is it appropriate to extend an offer to him? These are all contingent upon the players’ desire to stay and the appropriate amount being reached by both sides. Our target goalie is 37 years old. The Blues manager for the upcoming season is, in my opinion, crucial to this. If Tony Mowbray is the manager, I believe he will want to see a goalkeeper who can assist the Blues create momentum from behind and who is more assured with the ball at his feet.
