Garry Monk has admitted Birmingham City are in a “serious situation” after being docked nine points for a breach of the Football League’s profitability and sustainability rules, but the Championship club’s manager also insisted he has every faith in his players’ ability to climb clear of the relegation zone and achieve safety twice in the same season.
Birmingham have plummeted to 18th place in the wake of the punishment handed out last week, leaving them five points above the bottom three before Friday night’s derby at West Brom. The penalty was imposed after Birmingham recorded total losses of £48.8m from the start of the 2015‑16 season through to the end of the 2017‑18 campaign, almost £10m more than the £39m limit.
Monk, who was appointed 12 months ago, would not be drawn on whether he felt that the EFL’s ruling was fair – there are no plans to appeal – but he said it was important Birmingham learned from their mistakes and become “smart” with their financial decision-making.
His immediate focus, however, is on ensuring Birmingham retain their Championship status by getting back to the 50-point mark they were on before the punishment and which they had targeted. “The players have done very well this season at blocking out a lot of negativity and the fact that they achieved what we set out to do, and even had the possibility of more, just shows the head space they’re in,” Monk said. “Even though they’ve had another blow with these nine points, it doesn’t change what we set out to do. It just means we have to do it all over again. I’m confident and the reason why is the players have showed a huge amount of fight all season.”
The points deduction sets a precedent and there is a sense that several other clubs could face sanctions. “I don’t wish any clubs to have to go through what we have gone through. But of course those rules and regulations are there for a reason,” Monk said. “Consistency is what you expect.”