EFL commentator George Elek feels Chris Davies’ decision to combine Lyndon Dykes and Jay Stansfield at the weekend will be a trend that will continue throughout the season.
Dykes made his Blues debut in a 2-0 win over Rotherham United over the weekend, after joining from Queens Park Rangers during the summer transfer window.
While teammate frontman Alfie May was preferred in the recent 3-1 success over Wrexham, the former R’s man demonstrated how influential he will be in the coming season with his effort against the Millers.
The destructive impact the two had against a team that will have had promotion hopes this season has given Elek cause to believe that it is a pairing that Chris Davies will gravitate towards more often than not.
George Elek backs Lyndon Dykes, Jay Stansfield decision
Dykes’ strong presence up front added another dimension to the City team over the weekend, as he repeatedly battled the Millers’ defenders while also providing space for his teammates to exploit.
After making two substitute appearances prior to the journey to Yorkshire, the trip to the New York Stadium provided the Scot with the ideal opportunity to demonstrate his worth following a rumored £1 million move to St Andrew’s last month, and he did not disappoint.
Dykes replaced May, despite the fact that the former Charlton Athletic player had four goals in his first five league outings of the season before to the weekend, before appearing in the final 12 minutes the previous game.
With £20 million man Stansfield continuing to score, Elek believes the starting striking duo from the weekend will be replicated in the coming weeks and months, despite May’s excellent start to the season.
Elek said on the Not The Top 20 Podcast: “I was impressed by Stansfield throughout the game. It was interesting to note that Chris Davies, despite Alfie May’s good start to the season, switched it up and played Lyndon Dykes up top through the middle, with Stansfield as the ten, and it worked really well.
“With Dykes as the physical centre back, Stansfield had a lot more freedom, and he was constantly ghosting into space.
“Even more, Iwata’s goal was the result of a pass placed into Stansfield’s feet and a blocked shot.
“My hunch is that this is probably what we are going to see for the most part, it makes more sense for Stansfield to be playing off Dykes rather than try and wedge May and Stansfield in together, but we will see how that develops.”
George Elek backs Alfie May to contribute towards Birmingham City success
With Stansfield and May playing comparable roles in the team, it is likely that the latter will see limited playing time as Davies sticks with the player who has already scored three goals in his first two games back at St Andrew’s.
While May has started the season on fire and earned his team plenty of points with his goals, the Blues will face a season-long battle for minutes at the business end of the field.
That competition will only bring out the best in all of the club’s strikers, and Elek believes we are seeing the best of City as they prepare for the upcoming season.
He went on to say, “It is a fantastic alternative to have, and I am confident that May will play a role this season.
“It was another example of Birmingham…” My criticism of them in the first few games of the season was that they didn’t appear to be light years ahead of their opponents.
“They were having to rely on late games in marginal games, but I think when it has mattered against both Wrexham and against Rotherham, in a week they have been well clear.”
