Birmingham City won't want to overstay their welcome in League One, aiming to immediately bounce back to the Championship after a disastrous relegation, with a new boss finally at the helm.

It's been well documented how many managers the Blues fire through, appointing and then discarding in quick succession, but the owners of the West Midlands club will hope they've found their long-term man for the dug-out in Chris Davies, who walked away from the luxuries of being assistant at Tottenham Hotspur to become their new manager.

With the 4-2-3-1 formation the Blues operated with at the back-end of the season looking like it could be Davies' preferred set-up too, as Spurs used this formation for large spells of last campaign, there might well not be too much tweaking going on in terms of that.

Yet, there will no doubt be a number of new players on the agenda of the 39-year-old to try and bring into the St. Andrew's environment, to really stamp his authority onto his new team, after only ever being a right-hand man to someone else throughout his career on the sidelines to date.

So, just what could Davies' ideal lineup look like for the upcoming 2024/25 campaign? Well, Davies could flex his north London connections and even land a coup swoop from the Championship this summer…

1 GK – John Ruddy

Although rumours are beginning to circulate that Birmingham are in the market for a new goalkeeper, with Marko Marosi on the potential Blues shopping list as a new shot-stopper, the Blues would be fools to not try and keep John Ruddy situated in the West Midlands for next season.

The managerial situation now being more steady could make the 37-year-old want to stay put, even with reported interest from the Championship for his services, knowing he could be a star in League One and an experienced head who could help promotion be instantly achieved.

The one-time England international helped himself to a respectable 11 clean sheets last season for his relegated side and has excelled in the third tier before with various different former employers, accumulating seven clean sheets from 25 contests at the level.

2 RB – Ethan Laird

Ethan Laird looks likely to be the starting right-back for the Blues next season, with talk of Cody Drameh coming back to St. Andrew's feeling like a far-off dream now, considering the Leeds United starlet has surprisingly been offered a new deal back at his parent club.

Davies won't mind having to rely on Laird down the right-hand side of his defence, however, with the 22-year-old a handful at points last season, having made 25 appearances and managing six clean sheets even with the backdrop of relegation looming large.

3 CB – Alfie Dorrington

The first new addition to the League One side's ranks could be Alfie Dorrington, with Football Insider revealing recently that the young Tottenham centre-back would be offered out to EFL sides this coming campaign on loan, to enable the 19-year-old to begin to cut his teeth in the men's game.

Dorrington will be familiar to Davies, owing to their connections at Spurs, and Davies will want to add him to his roster, having been impressed presumably by him in U21s action, where he made 19 appearances last campaign.

The highly-rated teenager would also shore up the Blues at the back, who leaked 65 goals on the way to relegation being confirmed.

4 CB – Dion Sanderson

Dion Sanderson will enter into the lowly division next season eager to be one of many Blues players that get Birmingham straight back up to the Championship, having performed well in patches last campaign, despite League One football eventually slapping the club in the face.

Amassing ten clean sheets from the centre-back spots, the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers man was also tenacious and lively with 3.4 ball recoveries per game averaged.

Playing at the level before on loan with Sunderland, the 24-year-old could be a great asset for Davies to rely on.

5 LB – Lee Buchanan

Making up the final bit of the defence is another returning member of last campaign's squad in the form of Lee Buchanan, who should stay put at left-back under new management.

The ex-Werder Bremen man should be able to thrive even more dropping down a level, having slotted in well after joining from Germany in 2023, with 32 appearances under his belt in the Championship.

6 CDM – Krystian Bielik

Played more as a centre-back towards the end of last campaign, Krystian Bielik could well be more used more as a holding midfielder in this system under Davies, especially if Dorrington walks in through the door.

The former Arsenal youth product could have suitors interested in him from the league above, but the relegated outfit will have their fingers crossed he stays put in the West Midlands, even if a bidding war becomes a reality.

7 CDM – Marc Leonard

Birmingham will be on the look-out for new central midfielders regardless if Bielik does stay, with Jordan James looking likely to be heading off to pastures new this off-season.

The Blues could well try to flex their giant status in their new division by attracting Marc Leonard to return to League One, with the midfielder – who can play as a holding option or in a more attack-minded role – performing exceptionally well last campaign for Northampton Town in the league.

The current Brighton and Hove Albion man dazzled for the Cobblers, picking up five goals and six assists for John Brady's men, and would be a fantastic permanent capture by Davies' men if pulled off.

8 LM – Siriki Dembele

Siriki Dembele has also set League One alight across his career to date, much like Leonard, amassing an impressive 48 goal contributions from 105 games slogging it in the league.

The Birmingham winger will look to get one over on his former employers Peterborough United dropping back down to the third-tier, who will likely compete with the Blues near the top of the division.

9 CAM – Alex Pritchard

Alex Pritchard's experience and nous could prove to be key in attempting an immediate return to the Championship too, with the 31-year-old helping himself to ten goals and 18 assists when playing in League One in the past.

A number of those assists came about when Sunderland finally leapt back up to the second tier, and the diminutive attacking midfielder will look to do the same in the here and now, with another fallen giant.

10 RM – Koji Miyoshi

Koji Miyoshi has never tasted League One football across his career to date, but the Japanese gem will no doubt terrorise third-tier defences, if his glowing Championship numbers are anything to go by.

The constant bright spark, who is now seen as a bold transfer gamble paying off from Royal Antwerp, picked up seven goals and six assists last season in all competitions, including a scrambled in effort on the final day which momentarily raised the spirits of the St. Andrew's faithful.