One thing Chris Davies did v Sheffield Wednesday has annoyed some Birmingham City fans | OneFootball

Birmingham City fans questioned Chris Davies' decision to replace Tommy Doyle during their 2-2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

Birmingham City’s stuttering form continued on Tuesday night as they drew 2-2 with struggling Sheffield Wednesday at St. Andrew’s.

In truth, Chris Davies’ side were fortunate to pick up that point, as they required an impressive 99th minute effort from Demarai Gray to avoid a first home defeat since April 2024.

The result leaves Blues in mid-table, and it continues a trend of unconvincing recent performances since the side returned to the Championship.

Chris Davies comes in for criticism for Tommy Doyle substitution

To his credit, Davies did make changes for the Wednesday game, which came as no surprise given the manner of the 3-0 loss at Coventry City over the weekend.

Summer signing Tommy Doyle was among those to come into the XI, with Paik Seung-ho dropping to the bench.

And, it’s fair to say the Wolves loanee did well, as he helped Blues control the game after a slow start, where they actually took the lead against the run of play through Jay Stansfield.

Doyle was key to helping Blues dominate possession, and he looked assured in the middle of the park alongside Tomoki Iwata.

Therefore, Davies’ decision to replace Doyle just before the hour mark didn’t go down well with the supporters, with many feeling prior to the game that the 23-year-old has been underused so far this season.

The boss came in for fierce criticism for the substitution online, with one fan branding it a joke…

Another made it clear they weren't happy that Doyle was the one to go off at that stage of the game.

One fan described the call to replace the midfielder as 'madness' given how Doyle had performed up to that point.

This was another example of a fan unhappy that Doyle had been replaced, with the midfielder clearly having impressed many fans.

Chris Davies explains Tommy Doyle substitution in Birmingham City's draw with Sheffield Wednesday

Clearly, this was not a popular decision by Davies, and, for the first time since he was appointed, there is a feeling that the Blues fans are starting to question the former Spurs coach.

However, when speaking to Birmingham Live, the boss explained that it was a pre-planned decision to take Doyle off, purely because of his lack of minutes this season, which means he is not yet fit enough to play 90 minutes.

That is understandable, although it's not like Doyle has been injured, so fans will no doubt wonder why he hasn't been used much this season, particularly as Blues have struggled for wins recently.

It still seems as though Davies doesn't yet know his best Birmingham XI, which was to be expected given the number of arrivals this summer, but he will know that things must improve quickly as there is a lot of expectation at the club given the level of investment that the owners have put in.