Bowyer has to play his cards right on buys

BIRMINGHAM City boss Lee Bowyer will have a smaller budget than his predecessor Aitor Karanka.

Seven months under the Spaniard had left Blues fearful of their Championship status, with inconsistent results and many of the club’s new signings struggling to make any impression at all.

However, five wins in eight games under Bowyer saw Blues secure safety with two matches to spare and with controversial chief executive Xuandong Ren leaving in May positivity has started to build ahead of the next campaign.

For all that, Bowyer admits it will still be a tough season with fewer cards to play than those handed to Karanka who brought in 15 senior players in his two transfer windows and – according to Ren during an interview in February – enjoyed a playing budget of £18 million.

“It’s going to be tough, for the last four or five years we have been in a relegation fight every season,’’ said Bowyer. “Take out last season and they have gone to the last day for the four seasons before that.

“Is it going to be easy? No. But we have seen what we are capable of doing, just depending on our recruitment, who we can bring in.

“We have to cut back a little bit, this is what’s been told to me. It’s difficult to take because I didn’t think that was the case. It’s understandable with what’s gone on. There have been some changes upstairs; obviously Dong has gone now. I think if we can progress to around mid-table that will be a very good season.”

Blues have brought in Ryan Woods, Jordan Graham and Chuks Aneke and it could be Bowyer has to make use of the loan market.

He has made some space in his current group with senior players like Mikel San Jose, Jon Toral, Dan Crowley and Josh Dacres-Cogley leaving – and it is expected some younger prospects will be sent out on loan to gain experience.

Woods joined from Stoke and ex-Aston Villa and Wolves winger Graham signed on a free after impressing with Gillingham in League One last term. Aneke is well known to Bowyer having worked alongside him over the past two years at Charlton.