Birmingham City manager Chris Davies believes his side are developing the qualities needed to compete at the top end of the Championship following their 3-1 victory over Lincoln City.
The Blues secured all three points at Sincil Bank, bouncing back from their previous defeat against a Lincoln side that had beaten Burnley 4-1 the previous weekend. The victory provided an encouraging start to a demanding three-game week, with Davies now preparing his players for two consecutive home fixtures.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, where Football Lowdown were in attendance, Davies was asked to assess Birmingham’s progress so far this season.
“I feel we’re doing well. I’m really pleased. I think we did all right at the start. We drew a lot of games, but we were always in there and quietly going about it, to be honest, with less hype than last season, which was important, I think.
“We turned a bit of a corner after the international break and we scored a lot of goals. We’ve got a bit of a mixture. I want us to be a team that can fight and do all those ugly bits of football, but play a bit as well.
“We’re not just going to be able to play perfect football and float through matches. We’re going to have to really roll our sleeves up. I think because we’re showing different qualities like that, it makes me optimistic about the season.
“But November, December, January, it’s a grind, this Championship. So it’s one game at a time.”
Davies has made it clear that his ambitions extend beyond producing attractive football, with the ability to battle through difficult matches equally important. Saturday’s victory offered another example of that approach, particularly given the confidence Lincoln had gained from their emphatic win over Burnley.
Three-game week for Birmingham City
The Birmingham boss was also asked whether starting a three-game week with a victory could provide valuable momentum, after a defeat last weekend against Cardiff City.
“I think it’s important to try and bounce back from the defeat, like we have done. Then we’ve got two home games now, so we can look forward to those.
“But I think the main thing is you take one game at a time, like I always say. Coming to Lincoln, they’ve been in great form. They did an incredible job getting out of League One and they’ll be a real handful here for teams, so for us it’s a very good win.”
With Birmingham entering the demanding winter period, Davies will be hoping the resilience demonstrated at Sincil Bank can become a consistent feature of his team’s performances.
The Blues have already shown they can score goals, but combining that attacking threat with the ability to grind out results could prove crucial to their Championship ambitions.