When the final whistle blew on the 2-0 defeat by Norwich City at St Andrew’s yesterday, achorus of boos rang loud and clear — the soundtrack to a thoroughly dispiriting 2017 for Birmingham City. Festive cheer would have been asking a little much of a club rooted to the foot of the Sky Bet Championship table, of course, but nevertheless it is striking how little belief there is that Birmingham can shake their malaise. We may have recently passed the halfway mark of the season, but it is worth reflecting on the calamitous calendar year drawing to a close for Birmingham. The numbers make for sobering reading: just eight wins in 2017, four of which have come this season; and Steve Cotterill, who received…

Source: The Times December 27, 2017 00:03 UTC