Birmingham City eyeing ex-Wolves boss to replace Chris Davies if he's sacked | OneFootball

Gary O’Neil is reportedly a “top candidate” to take over the dugout in the West Midlands should Chris Davies be sacked.

Former Wolves and Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil is reportedly the “top candidate” to succeed Chris Davies at Birmingham City, should he be sacked.

As per a report by Football Insider, between now and the upcoming November international break is described as a “critical” period for Davies to turn Blues’ season around, as the West Midlands outfit currently sit 13th in the table.

Birmingham have had quite a mixed start to the new campaign despite significant financial backing from American owner Tom Wagner, winning four, drawing three and losing four of their opening 11 league outings.

However, a gutsy and impressive win on the road against Preston North End could be the catalyst for some more consistent form under Davies, and the Blues boss will be hopeful of that for him to remain in his post for the long-term.

It cannot be understated, though, the poor run Birmingham are on, with Davies' side picking up just two wins from their last eight Championship matches, and it doesn’t get any easier with a weekend trip to promotion-chasing Bristol City coming up.

Before the international break, Blues host Portsmouth and Millwall as well as rounding off with a trip to high-flying Middlesbrough ahead of the two-week lay-off once again, with points needing to be picked up if there isn’t to be a change in the dugout.

Gary O’Neil the “top candidate” for Birmingham City job

As per a report from Football Insider’s Wayne Veysey, Gary O’Neil is the top contender to replace Chris Davies as Birmingham City boss.

The report outlines that Birmingham hold a firm interest in securing the 42-year-old’s services, and he is in the frame to take over should they feel the need to part ways with Davies.

It is believed that the period between now and the next international break is key to Davies staying in the job, with Birmingham having four tricky games to take on before the upcoming two-week hiatus.

There is mounting pressure on Davies because of the expectations for the club. Football Insider also revealed that the hierarchy visited the away dressing room after their recent clash against Wrexham and outlined to the players that they are still expected to achieve automatic promotion this term.

They believe the heavy investment over the last two summers should mean that Davies’ side should be competing for a place in the Premier League, but after an underwhelming start, a change might be in order to help revive those hopes.

Birmingham City must give Chris Davies time to turn it around

While Birmingham City aren’t where they expected to find themselves at this stage of the season, the expectation and hype that they can gain back-to-back promotions has clearly not been a pressure that the players have thrived on, leading to inconsistencies in both performances and results.

And the fact Tom Wagner has told the players that they are still expected to be in the top two come the end of the term doesn’t exactly help either when the club is already going through a rough patch in form.

Perhaps Wagner is looking too closely at what Ipswich Town managed to achieve a couple of seasons ago, but in truth, the second-tier is such a difficult division to get out of, while there was an overhaul in the playing squad as 14 new faces walked into the building.

A large portion had never played in the Championship prior to signing on the dotted line, so it’s always going to take time for them to adapt to the demands of the division and feel comfortable enough to play their best football.

As this process continues to ramp up, Chris Davies should be afforded the time to see what the squad can produce at their best. Even though the Championship is a long and hard slog, the cream always rises to the top eventually, and the current Blues boss should be given a lot longer than the next four games to see if the team is beginning to take a positive shape under his guidance.

Some patience has to be shown by Wagner too, who is not making things any easier with his constant high expectations in such a short space of time.