Birmingham City found themselves rather active during the January transfer window.
In the end, Blues added three new players to their first-team squad, before the market closed.
Alex Pritchard and Paik Seung-ho signed permanently from Sunderland and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors respectively.
Meanwhile, Andre Dozzell arrived on loan from QPR until the end of the season.
However, it seems that has now left manager Tony Mowbray with a new problem to deal with.
Tony Mowbray facing excess of players at Birmingham City
Admittedly, the signings that have been brought into Blues’ squad over January, do look promising.
That though, means Mowbray now finds himself having to work with a particularly big squad at St Andrew’s.
Following the additions of those three January signings, there are now 28 players for the Birmingham City boss to pick from, when all are fit and available.
Of course, that means he is working with a lot more players, than he is allowed to have in a matchday squad. The maximum any team can have across their starting lineup and substitutes bench is 20.
Judging by these latest comments from the Birmingham City boss, that has left him with some challenging calls to make over certain individuals.
Speaking to Birmingham Live about managing such a sizeable squad, Mowbray said:
“I would prefer to have less numbers and higher quality around the whole group. Today I have sat and talked to four or five first team players and told them that I would prefer that they train rather than travel when they are not actually in the 20-man squad.
“They’re difficult conversations to have with young footballers who are trying hard to get in the team and then find out from the manager that they are not even going to be on the bench. They are tough conversations to keep them believing that moving forward there is a chance for them.”
Next up for Blues is a trip to Hillsborough to face Sheffield Wednesday in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Friday night.
Tony Mowbray must now prove how good a manager he is
This you feel, is where Mowbray has to show his managerial credentials at Birmingham City.
There can be no denying this is a big squad that he has to work with. As a result, there are going to be players who are disappointed every week, when they miss out on a place in the matchday squad and a chance to play.
However, it is his job as manager, to make the right calls over who to pick and who to leave out.
Beyond that, Mowbray will also have to maintain morale among those who do miss out from week to the next.
That way, they can be ready and in the right mindset to step into the side, if and when they are needed to do so.
If he is able to ensure that proves to be the case, then the squad available to him at Birmingham City, ought to have the resources needed to keep clear of the relegation zone.
Mowbray has shown in the past how good a manager he is at this level. Now a situation such as this gives him the chance to do so again.