Welcome to BirminghamLives’ coverage of everything to do with Birmingham City. Let’s start with rumors about Alen Halilovic.
Interested in Al
Birmingham City fans reacted with almost unanimous enthusiasm to news that Alen Halilovic had been offered a new contract to stay at the club.
The 24-year-old has had some success since joining Blues on a short-term contract until the end of this season.
His 17 appearances, a nice goal and his amazingly obvious technique have made the former Barcelona and AC Milan player a popular member of Lee Bowyer’s side.
Indeed, the head coach has expressed admiration for Halilovic – not just for his ability with the ball, but for his dedication without him.
However, Halilovic’s potential has long been known across Europe and although a few months ago he may run out of clubs willing to help him fulfill that potential, no sign of this process beginning will go unnoticed.
And so reports in Croatia claim that Halilovic is interested not only in St. Andrews but elsewhere in England as well as in Spain, Italy and Turkey.
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Former Dinamo Zagreb apprentice now has a big decision to make as to whether he is best able to follow the positive path he is now on with blues, wherever that may lead, or whether to move again should.
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On the subject of matching items
Still st and- ing
Birmingham City has briefed fans on the schedule for St. Andrew’s to reopen to fans next season.
Blues fans have not been able to visit the ground since February 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit football.
Fans have begun returning to the stadiums in the past few days with hopes of a large-scale return – pending government approval – for the start of next season.
Blues have their own special circumstances, however, as two stalls are closed due to safety concerns.
With this in mind, the club has now released information and a progress report confirming plans to reopen in the next term, but with reduced capacity.
A statement on the club’s website states: “After two booths closed for refurbishment in December 2020, we worked with our structural engineer and the Buckingham Group.
“The work between all parties has been extensive and has ensured that the safety of our players, staff and supporters is central to the work and the subsequent reopening of these areas.
“For supporters, we recognize that St. Andrew’s is your home, and we thank you for your patience during this time.
“Both Upper Kop and Upper Tilton refurbishment will be complete and these areas will be open for our first home game days of the 2021/22 season.”
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On the subject of matching items
Something to crow about
Pep Clotet has been helping Dan Crowley recover from his Birmingham City release and have a successful career – at the championship level, if not higher.
The former blues head coach, who went through some sort of miracle twist at Italian club Brescia, was the man who persuaded Crowley to do what was probably his best football in a blues jersey.
That was early in his first season at St. Andrew’s, shortly after he bought £ 750,000 from Willem II – and when Clotet was building a Birmingham team that played some attractive stuff in the 2019/2020 campaign.
Crowley played some fine football with Fran Villalba, formed a solid partnership with Maxime Colin on the right and provided assists for Lukas Jutkiewicz before things began to unravel for both Villalba and the Blues as Crowley continued to demonstrate his potential posed.
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However, this potential did not flourish under Clotet’s successor, Aitor Karanka. After only four appearances and one loan game at League One Hull City, the former Arsenal apprentice is now without a club.
But Clotet told BirminghamLive that this won’t be the end of the line. “He’s a very competitive player, he loves the game and has always worked very hard and stayed after training to keep improving,” said the Spaniard.
“He always wanted to win everything we did and had a great character and sense of humor, always lively and happy to get to work. I never had a problem with him.
“He was a different player who kept coming up with new solutions for all the situations he faced in training and games. For the football that it has in you, you have to use it properly.
“In my opinion, he has settled in well with us and remembers the season before he did astonishingly well at Willem II in the Dutch top division. I was happy with him on our team in the championship and he definitely has experience in Holland. I am sure he can do well. “
