A successful return to the Championship will not solely be down to Town’s ability to get their positive momentum back, according to Blues captain Sam Morsy.
Following a one-year stay in the Premier League, Town will return to the second tier in August and are expected to be among the early favourites for an instant promotion back to the top flight due to the calibre of squad and that they will be in receipt of the Premier League’s parachute and solidarity payments.
Much has been made of momentum in football, but Morsy dismissed suggestions that the Blues’ Championship promotion campaign last season was due to the drive they carried from League One in 2023.
The Town midfielder also shrugged off the idea that the Blues will need to find their rhythm again next season after a year of being on the back foot, insisting that a new season is a fresh start.
"I don’t really think it’s momentum,” he said. "People just throw about that word but what actually does it really mean? When you’re winning games they’ll say it’s momentum and when you’re not they’ll say it’s a lack of momentum.
"Each game is individual and it’s just through quality of opposition. You look at Burnley, for example, who got relegated, who have gone straight back up, Sheffield United have come close for many parts of the season and thought they’d do it even with a little points deduction.
"It’s just about starting again, you can’t take each season into the next. When we got promoted from League One, people said it was momentum in the Championship. No, you can’t take it in, it’s a new season and it starts fresh.
"That’s what it will be, the reality is players will come and go and we’ve got to build ourselves up, build the winning mentality and build up winning games again.
"It’s really important at the end of the season to unpack the season first, otherwise you’ll be non-stop thinking about it. Unpack it, go through it, speak honestly with people around you to review it – the good bits, bad bits and bits to improve on.
"Once you can do that, it’s important to have that mental rest. Not for long, it’s not going to be for five weeks, but certainly you need a couple of days to clear your head, relax and rejuvenate because the seasons come round very quickly and it’s obviously going to be a short break this year.”
The external narrative towards Town will be vastly different this time around than it was two years ago when the Blues entered the Championship from the other direction off the back of promotion from League One.
Morsy expects that target on their backs, but believes it is an obstacle the playing squad and coaching staff are prepared for.
"Completely different perspective,” the 33-year-old said. "We’re going to be the Liverpool and the Arsenal of next season.
"You go from having the lowest of everything and we’re probably going to have one of the highest for everything, it’s a completely different challenge.
"The challenge is going to be to win a lot of games and there’s going to be an expectation with that, so it’s something in the summer and pre-season we’re going to have to address and know it’s a completely different challenge.”
As in every transfer window, recruitment is paramount to the club’s success, with this summer expected to be another busy one for manager Kieran McKenna and chairman Mark Ashton to navigate.
The centre of the Blues’ midfield is likely to be one of the key areas of change as Massimo Luongo leaves the club alongside loanees Kalvin Phillips and Jens Cajuste coming to the end of their temporary spells.
Alongside the returning Cameron Humphreys, that leaves Morsy and Jack Taylor as the only senior options in that area of the pitch for next season currently in the building.
Morsy said: "We had five midfielders this year and we’re going to have two left so you need three midfielders.
"I think every area is going to need a little revamp, but of course central midfield when you’ve got two senior players you’re going to need another three so that’s going to be a big area where we need to improve on.”
At the back, Dara O’Shea has been one of the Blues’ most consistent performers and has handed given wide praise for his individual season, including being named the sponsor’s Player of the Year at last week’s End of Season Dinner.
O’Shea has also been handed the captain’s armband on six occasions when regular skipper Morsy has been absent from the starting line-up, which earned him praise from the former Egypt international.
"Dara’s been really solid – a good professional, good player, learning all the time and just a good attitude and teammate to be honest,” he said. "He’s never found wanting, every week he gives it everything he’s got and that’s thoroughly deserved. I’m glad he won it.
"He’s done really well. Obviously he hasn’t won a game yet being captain but I’m sure he will in the future.”