Birmingham City should look at rivals Wolves to see relegation to League One doesn't have to be a disaster: View | OneFootball

There’s no denying this is a massive blow for Blues, and a lot of people at the club have made plenty of mistakes. The decision to replace John Eustace with Wayne Rooney is the obvious one, and there are plenty of players who have underperformed.

For a club that had aims of playing in the Premier League within five years, and one that has announced plans to build a new stadium as part of a multi-billion pound Sports Quarter project, this is a real setback.

Yet, it doesn’t have to be a defining one - and Blues can look at rivals Wolves as proof that dropping to League One could actually be the reset they need.

Birmingham City can follow Wolves’ blueprint to bounce back

Unlike Blues, who have flirted with relegation from the Championship a few times over the years, Wolves suffered back-to-back relegations in 2012 and 2013.

Naturally, the mood at Molineux was toxic. The second relegation saw fans run on the pitch to confront players, as they also showed their anger at those in the boardroom who had overseen their demise.

With many players on contracts that had been signed when they were in the Premier League, the outlook financially was pretty bleak as well.

It was clear that major changes were required - and that’s exactly what happened.

Wolves brought in Kenny Jackett, who was a proven manager at that level, and they eventually shipped out the high earners, creating a ‘bomb squad’ of those not involved, who would train away from the first-team.

With academy graduates Carl Ikeme, Danny Batth and Jack Price now key parts of the team, along with others who were no longer treating Wolves as another opportunity for a payday, the bond between the players and the fans quickly grew.

Just months after they had gone after players on the pitch, Wolves fans would sell out the 5,000 away end for their first game in League One at Preston.

What followed over the next nine months was a campaign that will live long in the memory.

Having spent years watching their side lose most weeks, Wolves supporters were now watching an attacking, stylish side that dominated home and away. Plus, they got to see new grounds and have fun on their travels.

Wolves would eventually claim the title by collecting over 100 points, and memories were made that players and fans will still cherish.

In the bigger picture, that was the springboard for greater success. Within a few years, Fosun would buy the club, and Wolves would return to the Premier League.

To highlight their rise, just six years after playing the likes of Crawley Town and Gillingham in League One, Wolves, led by Nuno Espírito Santo, would be facing Olympiacos and Sevilla during their Europa League journey that saw them reach the quarter-final.

Birmingham City have the foundations in place

In comparison to Wolves, Blues’ situation won’t seem as bad.

They aren’t going down with a wage bill that could cripple the club, but a clear-out will happen, and it could be exactly what’s required.

We know how productive the academy at St. Andrew’s is, and this could be the time for more exciting youngsters to be given a chance.

Crucially though, Blues have the owners in place to kick-on. Wolves’ real transformation came when Fosun took over, as they took the club to the next level, but, in Knighthead, they’re already in place at Birmingham.

Saturday’s results brought the usual emotions to Blues fans that accompany relegation. There was pain, anguish, anger and frustration at how they had found themselves in this situation.

Those feelings may still be in place, and it may take some time for certain sections of the support to get over them.

But, looking to the long-term, Blues are still heading in the right direction under Tom Wagner and the American ownership team.

Provided they have learned lessons from this season, and complacency doesn’t take over, a year in League One could be just what’s needed to add momentum and a feel-good factor to this project.

Mixing it with the elite in the Premier League, and potentially returning to Europe, may feel a long, long way away when Birmingham take on Stevenage and Shrewsbury next season.

However, they only have to look down the road at Wolves to see that things can change relatively quickly in football, and with the ambitious owners in place at Birmingham, there’s no reason why they won’t be able to emulate their rivals’ success.