Birmingham City have made a creditable start to their League One campaign, but there’s still a lot of work to be made.
Chris Davies has set rigorous standards inside the confines of Birmingham City’s training facility in Henley-in-Arden, and the results of those demands have been visible very early in his tenure. After passing an unpleasant test against Reading on the first day, the Blues have journeyed south in the league and cup in the subsequent two weeks and won all three.
Keshi Anderson, who stayed at the club after the Blues were relegated last spring, saw Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Leyton Orient as another opportunity to impress right away. just being given an hour at Wycombe, Anderson reaffirmed that that spot in the Blues’ attack is still his to lose for the time being – and his efforts to keep the shirt were bolstered when he opened the score just seven minutes.
Anderson is enjoying life under Davies, who has inherited a dynamic and seasoned attack-minded midfielder who won over fans after signing from Blackpool last summer, despite the club’s collective collapse. Anderson added that his job in the current Blues system, which Davies has constructed, is ‘ideal for him’.
“It keeps you on your toes,” Anderson said about the fight for spots on the team. “Each player feels the strain, and everyone wants to be the one who gets the shirt on Saturday or Tuesday. It’s not a threat, but you have to improve and do better every day because the gaffer has high expectations. If we do that, we will only improve.
“In terms of link-up play and coming inside from the flank, it allows me to get into specific situations where I can dribble and drive with the ball. For me, it’s perfect. It suits me and the players I have around me, especially the midfielders – Marc [Leonard], Paik, and Tayls [Gardner-Hickman], who get on the half turn and seek for passes.
“Ethan [Laird], with his athleticism, gets up and down the pitch, which benefits me. As a team, I believe we compliment each other extremely well.
Davies is set to make changes when the Blues host Fulham in the EFL Cup second round on Tuesday night at St Andrew’s. It is unclear whether this implies more minutes for Anderson or an opportunity for others – Tyler Roberts and George Hall, for example, have recently struggled to make a match-day squad. However, Anderson believes a higher-quality opponent could benefit the Blues.
“It’s a big squad, so it’s good to get minutes,” said the coach. “If you do start, you wish to claim the shirt for the following game. There is always competition. We want to move as far as possible, and we believe Fulham, as a Premier League team with highly intelligent footballers, may be a game that suits us better in terms of various things that happen on the pitch.
“Each game provides an opportunity to demonstrate our team’s strengths. We are looking forward to it; it should be a nice test.