Football League World
·2 October 2024
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·2 October 2024
Birmingham City boss Chris Davies admitted he did not enjoy watching their 1-0 win over Huddersfield Town from the stands.
Birmingham City boss Chris Davies admitted he didn’t enjoy watching his side beat Huddersfield Town from the stands as he served a one-game ban last night.
The 39-year-old was handed his first senior management role by Blues in the summer, and he has enjoyed a brilliant start, with his expensively assembled squad leading the way in League One.
However, the win over the Terriers offered a new experience for the head coach, as he was forced to watch from high up after picking up three bookings in previous games which brought a ban from the dugout.
And, speaking to Birmingham World, it’s fair to say that he is ‘looking forward’ to returning to his normal position for the weekend game at The Valley against Charlton Athletic.
“It wasn’t very good! I didn’t like it. It wasn’t something I wanted, I was up in the stand in the first half and somewhere else in the second.
“I’m in constant contact with them (the coaching staff) on the phone when I’m away from the bench, which is pretty handy.
“It wasn’t ideal but the staff did a great job down on the touchline and on the bench. Ultimately it’s down to the players on the pitch to make an impact and they handled it pretty well, but I’m looking forward to getting back on the touchline for the next game!”
There’s probably not going to be too much praise coming Davies’ way this season, as the general expectation is that Birmingham should win the league relatively comfortably given the resources they have at their disposal.
Nevertheless, there are many examples over the years of money not bringing success in football, so Davies does deserve credit for how quickly he has got this side performing well.
It may have only been 1-0 against Huddersfield, but it didn’t tell the whole story, as Alfie May missed a sitter before getting the only goal, and Jay Stansfield will also feel he should’ve scored one or two.
Ultimately, the players have quickly brought into his methods, and there is a clear identity and way of playing that the boss has implemented through hard work on the training ground.
Then, with a system in place, the individual quality can shine through, and there’s no denying that Blues’ squad is head and shoulders above the rest at this level.
So, the early signs are positive for Davies, and it should be remembered that he will be learning on the job as well, and not getting booked as often is clearly something he will be trying to improve in the future!
The challenge for Birmingham is to maintain the standards they have set in the opening few months, and it will be about ensuring complacency doesn’t creep in if they do open up a bigger lead at the top of the table.
But, this season is part of a bigger project in place at St. Andrew’s, so the players will be desperate to be part of that journey, so you wouldn’t expect it to be too much of an issue.
As mentioned, Blues make the trip to the capital this weekend as they seek to record a seventh league victory on the bounce at Charlton.