Birmingham City talking points following the friendly double-header against Walsall and Aldershot on Saturday.
Birmingham City are one game away from the start of the League One season after completing a pre-season double-header yesterday.
Two Blues XIs faced Walsall and Aldershot, with varying results. The superior Blues team, coached by manager Chris Davies, beat Walsall 1-0 thanks to an Alfie May goal. The second Blues XI lost 3-1 to National League Aldershot after Keshi Anderson put them ahead.
The Blues have one more friendly against West Bromwich Albion next weekend to prepare for their League One start against Reading. Davies has confessed that he already has ‘a fair notion’ of his starting lineup against Reading, which might be revealed a week in advance.
Patterns emerging
The gap between the Blues’ first preseason game under Davies, against SC Paderborn 07, and now is significant. The concepts against Paderborn were clear, but the execution was bad, and the opposition was, admittedly, powerful.
Blues demonstrated against Rangers in midweek that their team is full of quality that exceeds League One standards. off from that, the Blues have pushed off League One Shrewsbury Town and Walsall, who are looking to contend for promotion from League Two this season.
Preseason results are secondary. The style of play is far more significant, especially when a team is in transition. The patterns of play that Davies established are now visible.
In addition to quick, precise passing triangles that allowed Blues to break past Walsall’s press and into midfield, there were some direct aspects. Alex Cochrane frequently sought for a clip down the line either Siriki Dembele or Willum Willumsson. When the ball crossed to the right, Blues players looked for Dembele, who was hugging the left touchline. Dion Sanderson isn’t faultless in possession, but he’s generally good at raking long switches from right to left.
Peacock-Farrell winning race
Davies is unlikely to stray far from the starting XI against Walsall, although there are a few spots up for debate. However, the battle between the goalkeepers appears to be won.
Bailey Peacock-Farrell started and excelled, making two saves in either half to retain another clean sheet. His double-stop against Charlie Lakin in the fifth minute was amazing.
Peacock-Farrell said: “It was a terrific shot from himself, again off a counter, and getting up and going the other way is always difficult as a goalkeeper. I was pleased with my saves and overall build-up play as the extra man, and I was satisfied with my performance.”
Dembele’s audition
Dembele’s selection over Emil Hansson, who was part of the team that lost to Aldershot, was surprising. Davies clearly wanted to look at Dembele and later stated that the 27-year-old Ivorian ‘was disciplined and did well’.
Did he do enough to remove Hansson from the starting lineup? Probably not. While Dembele demonstrated flashes of his quality going forward, Walsall right-back Connor Barrett was allowed to move menacingly unchallenged. Barrett came close to scoring for Walsall in the first half and skewed his shot wide in the second after leaving Dembele.
Dembele’s ability is top-end Championship, therefore it’s impossible to see him on a League One bench. However, unless he can combine it with a willingness to work backwards and assist his full-back, Hansson is a superior option.
Transfer needs still exist
In the same way that the Blues have plenty of offensive options and can afford to lose some weight, they are still thin at the back. Ethan Laird played about 60 minutes before being replaced by Brandon Khela because there isn’t a like-for-like substitute on the roster. Blues will not rely on Laird’s availability and will seek to sign another right-back.
Another centre-back would also be beneficial, though the Blues must exercise caution in their pick. As things stand, Sanderson or Christoph Klarer, who played 30 games in the German Bundesliga last season, will be on the bench for the League One opener. Stockpiling quality players at a position where continuity is critical is probably not a good idea.
Another striker is necessary, and everyone hopes it will be Jay Stansfield, but the prospects of this happening are small at the moment. The Blues could definitely front the money if Fulham are willing to trade Stansfield, but there are already a slew of Championship clubs vying for him.
