When Craig Gardner was handed the keys to Birmingham City’s crumbling castle nearly three years ago the appointment was met with incredulity. The former Blues player and coach seemingly had no experience to merit being made technical director of a then Championship football club and seemed to be just another ill-judged move by the previous owners.
However, for all the external noise, Gardner was serious about the role and threw himself into it, and quickly talked about addressing Blues’ Financial Fair Play problems, adding assets to a squad traditionally filled with expensive players with more career behind them than in front. After initial interviews, followed up a few months later by a meeting with fan groups and media, Gardner has since been publicly silent.
He has, though, continued his work behind the scenes and last summer got to enjoy the largesse brought by Tom Wagner’s takeover. He was also given the brief to add to his recruitment team with the addition of Frank McParland and Joe Carnall.
Gardner would no doubt claim much of his time has been about so much more than transfers, indeed he was instrumental in helping the takeover come to fruition. But it is that most high-profile of yardsticks by which he is most frequently measured, particularly since last summer’s transfer optimism ended in relegation. Fingers have once again been pointed.
So we take a look at the 30-plus deals he has overseen during his six windows in the role and his hit ratio on those deals.
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Chuks Aneke (Charlton, free) HIT
Never anything more than a bit part player but arrived to be reunited with Lee Bowyer before being sold for a profit a few months later. Even though there was little return in footballing terms, Aneke never looked cut out for the Championship, as a piece of business it’s difficult to argue anything other than it was canny work from Gardner. Jordan Graham (Gillingham, free) HIT
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Probably the best crosser of a ball during his two seasons at Blues but his hope of playing as a winger ended as soon as it begun with Bowyer preferring a wing back system. Heavens knows Graham tried to apply himself to a role he’d turned his nose up at when he was with Wolves, but he was never able to convince either Bowyer or John Eustace he was worth a regular starting berth. Fifty-four appearances in two seasons isn’t a bad return on investment. It’d be harsh to characterise that as a miss.
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Ryan Woods (Stoke, free) MISS
A lot of hope was put in Woods being the key player to transform Blues into a more possession-based team and for a few games the sand-wedge passes out to the full backs were pleasing to watch. However, as Blues’ lack of athleticism as a team began to cost them, so too Woods’ shortcomings were magnified. In the end he only ended up playing one season for Blues – with diminishing results – before Eustace moved him on to Hull City.
Troy Deeney (Watford, free) HIT
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The dream was seductive. After a decade making good in the Premier League, the boyhood Blues fan returns home to fire his team to promotion. The dream was also wildly unrealistic. Deeney spent two seasons at Blues and was probably more surprised at how low standards had fallen that it wasn’t so much a case of being the final piece of the jigsaw as trying to put as many pieces together as possible.
Unfortunately his fitness troubles meant he wasn’t able to exert as much influence on the field as he wanted and given the lofty hopes at the outset it’s hard to feel things went as well as everyone intended. However, there was an improvement in standards off the pitch and Deeney deserves credit for that.
Riley McGree (Charlotte, loan) HIT
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Gardner brought McGree back to the club after Aitor Karanka had largely ignored the Australian. It was only after injuries to other players forced Bowyer to pick the Australian that his true worth became apparent. Juan Castillo (Chelsea, loan) MISSHaving played himself into form suddenly other clubs wanted McGree and Blues weren’t in a position to compete. Can’t view his time at Blues as a failure though.
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The biggest swing and miss of the Gardner era. Bowyer barely gave him a chance saying: “When he first came he was overweight, couldn’t run, broke down in the first week or two of preseason because he was out of shape.” He managed only three Championship appearances for Blues and his loan was terminated in the next window.
Tahith Chong (Man Utd, loan then permanent) HIT
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Came on loan and sparkled, tearing Luton to pieces in a remarkable display at Kenilworth Road and looking a cut above the rest of Bowyer’s slightly prosaic attackers. However, a training ground injury took out the middle third of his loan season. He returned on a permanent basis as a gift from prospective owners the following summer and acquitted himself well under Eustace. Maybe there should have been more goals and assists but the fact Blues sold him for a profit and the fact he played pretty well make this a successful piece of business for the club.
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Dion Sanderson (Wolves, loan then permanent) HIT
His first loan was a success but cut short when Wolves recalled him, stuck him on their bench and then farmed him out to work with John Eustace at QPR. His second lasted the whole of last season and was even better and after his full transfer in the summer he started writing himself the first few lines of what could be a very decent chapter in Blues’ recent history.
Unfortunately his form tailed off badly after Eustace’s departure.
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Matija Sarkic (Wolves, loan) HIT
For a loan player to manage just half a season and still win player of the year it must have been some half-season. Ten clean sheets in 23 games and a series of outstanding displays meant Sarkic’s time at Blues can be considered nothing other than a positive one. -
Teden Mengi (Man Utd, loan) HIT
Arrived when Dion Sanderson was recalled and slotted in well – only to break down with a hamstring injury. Mengi managed only ten games for Blues but the reason it wasn’t more was nothing to do with Gardner. -
Taylor Richards (Brighton, loan) MISS
The attacker’s time at Blues was largely wasted. He was injured in his medical, which for some reason the club chose to obfuscate, and when he finally did get on the pitch after a couple of months he looked rusty. Richards has got talent but his body needs to allow him to show it. Onel Hernandez (Norwich, loan) HIT
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Watching the Cuban fly down the left for Blues was exhilarating, especially when it came against a backdrop of a series of blunt attacking displays which preceded his arrival. As ever with wingers it’s about end product and Hernandez maybe could have done more – but he wasn’t helped by being shoehorned in at wing back, either. Juninho Bacuna (Rangers, undisclosed) HIT
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The Curacao international is now worth more than Blues paid for him. That’s progress. Bacuna can frustrate with his tendency to dwell on the ball but he can also thrill with his vision, ability to execute a pass and score spectacular goals. If only there were more tap-ins. A good signing. Lyle Taylor (Nottingham Forest, loan) HIT
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The striker, who now finds himself without a club, came in and scored the goals Blues needed at the time. One on debut – against your parent club’s rivals – never hurts, nor does a brilliant record from the penalty spot. It was fun while it lasted.John Ruddy (Wolves, free) HIT -
A few eyebrows were raised when Blues brought Ruddy to St Andrew’s. His pedigree was undoubted but after four years on the Wolves bench one wondered if he still had it in him. He does. Ruddy has been a success at Blues. GET MORE NEWS HERE
