Chris Davies urged to make big Birmingham City player decision - 'he hasn't done anything wrong' | OneFootball

FLW's Birmingham City Fan Pundit Jason has spoken on James Beadle's performance between the sticks against Wrexham.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

James Beadle has found game time hard to come by since his loan move to Birmingham City over the summer; however, the Brighton loanee impressed between the sticks on Friday as the Blues secured a 1-1 draw away at Wrexham.

33-year-old Ryan Allsop began the season as Chris Davies' number one, with Beadle yet to make a league appearance until Birmingham's most recent fixture, and his performance showcased everything to suggest that he could potentially claim the place as the club's undisputed number one.

Football League World's Birmingham Fan Pundit Jason Moore has given his thoughts on the matter, suggesting that the 21-year-old should be the first choice for the Blues moving forward.

"He has to be first choice" - Birmingham goalkeeper claim made

"100%, he was solid against Wrexham, and Allsop has not looked great so far," said Jason when asked whether Beadle should be in line to claim a starting spot.

"The reason that we brought Allsop to the club is that he is great with his feet, and even in that regard, he has not looked brilliant this season."

Allsop joined the club in the summer of 2024, with the Blues eyeing an immediate return to the Championship. And after taking Bailey Peacock-Farrell's number one spot early last season, he continued to be Chris Davies' first choice upon the Blues' Championship return.

"For me, when it comes to Beadle, he has to be first choice," said Jason. "Until he does something wrong, we have to discuss who should be the number one again."

"The matches that Beadle has played, he hasn't done anything wrong - he was solid when he played against Port Vale."

Despite making just the one league appearance for Birmingham, Jason is convinced that Beadle should continue between the posts for Davies.

"I would rather my goalkeeper do their job of keeping the ball out of the net, than being fantastic with their feet. When you look at some of the shots Allsop has faced, he should be doing better. The goal against Sheffield Wednesday, and the first one against Coventry, spring to mind."

"Beadle was solid against Wrexham, and for me, he has to be the number one now."

Beadle could offer an upgrade after Allsop struggles

With three wins, three draws, and three losses, Birmingham have collected a mixed bag of results upon their return to the second-tier.

Davies' side have been controlled, with their average possession of 56.2% only being bettered by four other Championship sides. One of the issues lies in their own defensive third.

Birmingham's expected goals against stat sits at 0.94 per 90, the lowest in the Championship. However, they have instead conceded 1.22 goals per 90 thus far - suggesting that Birmingham are simply conceding more than they should.

Goalkeeper Allsop has also made just 1.25 saves per 90, with a save percentage of 50% - a far from ideal percentage at a club with promotion ambitions. His goals prevented numbers also sit at -0.28, further highlighting that Allsop is simply conceding more than he should.

Beadle's numbers at Sheffield Wednesday last term are not significantly better; however, the context of Birmingham's control and quality compared to Wednesday's relative lack of it must be applied.

At 21, Beadle is extremely young for a goalkeeper, and the fact that his underlying numbers are similar to those of Allsop suggests that, in time, he will be a clear upgrade on the 33-year-old.

Beadle's passing accuracy of 67.6% is also not too far away from Allsop's 70.5%, and this will only improve with more minutes in Chris Davies' possession-based system.

For a side with promotion ambitions, Birmingham require a reliable first-choice goalkeeper. Beadle is far from the finished article; however, there is still fantastic upside when compared to a goalkeeper in Allsop approaching the final years of his career, who has not quite performed to the expected standards this term.