Former England and Leicester City striker Emile Heskey thinks Birmingham City must now take stock and target a Championship play-off place this season.
Birmingham were promoted last season and Heskey thinks Blues now need to scale up their ambitions.
He notes that new owners from outside football often struggle, because they don’t understand just how complex a football club can be to run.
Heskey also has a note of encouragement for struggling forward Jay Stansfield, believing he has the potential to still be one of the best.
Play-offs have to be main aim
During an exclusive interview with 10bet, Heskey said of Birmingham’s play-off hopes: “I think that’s got to be the main aim for Birmingham this season.
“Last season I was saying the most important thing for Birmingham City is to consolidate.
“The club needed to consolidate in the Championship after getting promoted and get to understand the division.
“They needed to give themselves a platform to build from.
“They’ve done that now, so the next step is pushing into the play-offs or for straight promotion.
Football is not easy
“Football is not easy. People think, “Yeah, just come in and spend this money,” and we’ve seen it time and time again here and abroad.
“You’ve got to build something with a foundation that will help you continue to build and continue with the platform.
“Football’s massive. It’s got this draw, it’s got this razzmatazz, it’s got this energy that people think they can crack and do something different and make it look easy.
“But you don’t realise how unique and difficult it is until you actually get in.”
Stansfield must keep the faith
Star striker Stansfield has scored just one goal in eight games so far, and Heskey added: “I think Jay’s still got to stay confident. He’s a fantastic player and he’s shown that.
“You don’t lose your knack for goals, you just lose the confidence sometimes, and you probably snatch at things that came more naturally before. So he’s got to get that instinct back.
“He might even be doubting himself, but you should never doubt yourself.
A great player
“You’re in that position because you’ve shown that you can do it time and time again.
“Sometimes they just come. Sometimes they come in purple patches, sometimes they come for a whole season.
“As a player, your confidence goes up and down anyway. I think he just needs to stay confident.
“He knows he’s a great player, he’s been in the England set-ups and everything, so you don’t get there unless you’re elite level or have elite potential. Just keep plugging away.”
