Birmingham City face a vital few weeks as they battle to retain their Championship status.
In the six games since Tony Mowbray was forced to temporarily step back from his role as manager for health reasons, Blues have picked up just a single point.
That has seen them drop to 21st in the Championship table. They are now only outside the relegation zone on goal difference.
As a result, Birmingham City have now taken action this week in an attempt to fix the situation.
Gary Rowett has now returned to the club, to take charge as interim manager for the remainder of the season.
However, they are of course, unable to bring back players who have previously played for the club. As a result, one of those to have departed St Andrew’s in the summer who they may now be missing, is Tahith Chong.
Blues may wish they still had Tahith Chong
Initially, Chong joined Birmingham City on loan from Manchester United for the 2021/22 season.
The summer of 2022 then saw the winger turn that move to St Andrew’s into a permanent one, signing a four-year deal with the Blues.
However, the 24-year-old was on the move again just a year later. That latest switch saw him join newly promoted Premier League side Luton Town for an undisclosed fee last summer.
Now though, Birmingham City may well be wishing they still had Chong available to call on now, as they batle to avoid relegation.
Winger would have helpled Birmingham City
There can be no denying that Chong was highly rated around St Andrew’s. Speaking about the winger at the time whe his move to Kenilworth Road was imminent, then Blues manager John Eustace described him as ‘fantastic’.
That arguably highlights the belief about just what he could for the club, if he was still there.
Indeed, last season saw Chong score four goals and provide five goals in 38 Championship appearances for Birmingham City.
He also caused plenty of problems for opposition defences beyond that. The sort of creativity he provides, would surely therefore have been a useful asset for Blues this season, especially considering their struggle for goals this season.
Indeed, since making that move to Luton Town, Chong has also continued to develop. As part of that, he has come up with some significant goals for the Hatters as well.
It therefore seems as though the winger has continued to improve and develop. Had he been doing that with Birmingham City in the Championship, he could have made an even bigger impact for them this season.
Given he still had three years remaining on his contract at St Andrew’s last summer, it may also be argued that Blues did not neccessarily need to sell Chong at that point.
With that in mind, the extra boost he could have given them in the battle to avoid relegation, means Birmingham City may now be regretting the fact they did so.