'It's a bit harsh' - Chris Davies’ controversial Patrick Roberts call at Birmingham City | OneFootball

Blues could have a big attacking advantage

Patrick Roberts’ place in Birmingham City’s strongest XI has become an increasingly debated topic, after a difficult end to the 2025/26 Championship campaign.

The 29-year-old was one of Blues’ standout performers during the first half of the season following his arrival from Sunderland.

Roberts contributed five league goals and five assists across the campaign, with only Jay Stansfield and Marvin Ducksch recording more goal involvements for Chris Davies’ side.

For long stretches before Christmas, Roberts and Demarai Gray were central to Birmingham’s attacking identity.

Roberts regularly gave Blues a creative spark, and his experience at Championship level looked invaluable for a side targeting a top-six push after significant investment from Knighthead.

However, Birmingham’s January recruitment altered the dynamic considerably.

The £7 million signing of Spanish winger Carlos Vicente from Deportivo Alavés added fierce competition on the right flank, and after a bedding-in period, Vicente eventually displaced Roberts in Davies’ preferred starting line-up.

Birmingham City fan pundit delivers Patrick Roberts verdict after Carlos Vicente emergence

Roberts did not start an away league game after January and was left as an unused substitute in Birmingham’s final three matches of the season, with Davies instead favouring Vicente as the Blues adapted their style late in the campaign.

Despite Birmingham finishing 10th in the Championship, there were signs of encouragement in the final weeks. Vicente began producing the performances many expected after his arrival.

Still, Roberts’ reduced involvement has inevitably raised questions about his long-term role heading into 2026/27.

Football League World asked Birmingham City fan pundit Jason Moore whether Roberts is likely to grow frustrated if his game-time remains limited next season, and whether Davies was right to take him out of the side in the first place.

“So, I think firstly it probably was the right thing to drop him to begin with, not because he was out of form or anything like that,” Moore told FLW.

“I think he got to a point maybe after that Charlton game, maybe a couple of games before, it was quite obvious the season fell away.

“We’ve spent big money on Carlos Vicente - we're going to have to go back into next season with those two guys as our right wingers, so let’s just bed Carlos Vicente in.

“So I kind of get it from that point of view. He could have given him a couple of more minutes, at least maybe half an hour or something. Not playing as much as he did towards the end of the season - it's a bit harsh but I can understand why he was dropped.

“I think if it goes into next season like that, with him getting low minutes, 100% he's going to get really frustrated, and who can blame him. But currently, I'd just be looking at us just bedding Carlos Vicente in and he looked alright, to be fair to him, towards the end of the season.

“We can now go into next season with two really quality wingers that both offer us something really, really different.

“I won't be too worried if I was Patrick Roberts right now. He's loved by Blues fans.
I don't think he would particularly play every game as well for Sunderland when he was there, so...

“Yeah, probably the right thing to drop him just to get Vicente bedded in. We go next season and we've got two really good right wingers that can affect the game in different ways.”

Patrick Roberts may still have huge role to play for Birmingham City next season

Although Roberts ended the season on the fringes, Birmingham are unlikely to view him as a player suddenly surplus to requirements.

Vicente and Roberts offer completely different skillsets.

Vicente is more direct, more explosive physically and perhaps better suited to the higher-intensity transitional football Birmingham leaned towards in April and May.

Roberts, meanwhile, remains arguably the more technical and creative option in tighter games, particularly against deep defensive blocks.

That variation could become extremely important if Birmingham are serious about launching a genuine promotion push next season.

The Championship rarely allows clubs to survive with only one reliable option in wide areas, especially given the physical demands of a 46-game campaign. Injuries, rotation and tactical flexibility will all be important.

There is also the simple reality that Roberts has consistently produced at this level across multiple clubs.

His experience with Sunderland, where he was not always an automatic starter but still played a decisive role in successful campaigns, may help him manage the situation better than some supporters expect.

For Roberts, much may depend on how Birmingham begin the 2026/27 campaign. If Vicente cements himself as an undisputed starter and Roberts continues to see only limited minutes, frustration would become inevitable.

Birmingham could ultimately benefit from having one of the strongest collections of attacking depth in the Championship.