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Klar stars but there have been some flops at the back
Birmingham Mail
|November 17, 2025
BIRMINGHAM City are a third of the way through the Championship season and the signs are encouraging based on their performance between the October and November international breaks.
A haul of nine points from six games is just about playoff form, albeit Blues have ground to make up for their sluggish showings in September.
The likes of Christoph Klarer and Jay Stansfield have slotted into Championship life quite easily, but what about the rest of them?
We've rated every Blues player based on their showings in the opening 15 league games.
It's worth mentioning that only players who have played more than 150 league minutes have been marked, hence why Alfons Sampsted and Kanya Fujimoto don’t appear on the list...
RYAN ALLSOP:
Allsop didn’t make a catalogue of mistakes to lose his place in the team to Beadle. The most notable error Allsop made came against Sheffield Wednesday and he didn’t survive it. 6
JAMES BEADLE:
Beadle has grown in confidence between the sticks. A capable shot-stopper was expected, but Beadle has become quite a commanding presence at the back for Blues. Three clean sheets in seven games isn't bad going. 7
ETHAN LAIRD:
Laird was Blues’ best fullback before sustaining a hamstring injury in late September. Had he been fit, Laird would surely have regained his right-back position before midfielder Tomoki Iwata stepped in. 7
BRIGHT OSAYI-SAMUEL:
Given a glimpse of Osayi-Samuel’s potential in the Championship on the opening night against Ipswich but his level has dropped since then. The fact he is playing second fiddle to Iwata tells the story of Osayi-Samuel's season so far. 5.5
CHRISTOPH KLARER:
Blues’ captain is probably the most dependable player at the club. When others have been inconsistent and changed around him, Klarer has stood tall and carried on his form from last season. 8.5
PHIL NEUMANN:
This story is from the November 17, 2025 edition of Birmingham Mail.
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