A slow, ‘soft’ start and not being ruthless enough.
Reasons for Blues 1-0 defeat at Stoke City, making it back-to-back losses in the Championship.
Bosun Lawal’s 21st minute looping header, from a corner, proved to be the difference.
But Blues were not at the races in the opening stages in the Potteries, which set the pattern and one which they didn’t address properly until after the break.
And then it wasn’t enough, as Blues chance creation and ability to truly threaten the goal didn’t materialise despite all their possession.
“We weren’t good enough in that first 20 minutes/half-an-hour and it cost us the game,” stated manager Chris Davies.
“Very rarely have I seen us as passive and as soft as that, in the opening periods of a game, especially away from home.
“There wasn’t enough blue shirts (winning) the second balls, in the duels, and we paid the price by conceding a poor corner to go 1-0 down.
“After that, as the half wore on, we got to grips with the game more; more possession, more control and that continued throughout the second-half without us, unfortunately – a familiar story for us – being able to turn that possession, that dominance, into meaningful chances.”
Demarai Gray miscued an awkward volley from a Lewis Koumas cross in the centre of the area, but Blues didn’t really make goalkeeper Viktor Johansson work, despite the approach efforts.
“Maybe a little bit of panic, or rushing things or hurrying things,” said Davies, in relation to Blues end product.
“New players, maybe, playing together for the first time and not quite understanding each other’s movements and habits. That’s something hopefully we will improve the more we play together, the more we train together.
“We got into the final third a lot – more than them – without turning it in big chances.
“The biggest chance was probably Jay Stansfield’s in the first-half they made a good block from.
“Towards the end, it seemed to me that there was a lack of cohesion. Some new players haven’t played together. You’ve got Marvin (Ducksch), Lewis (Koumas), Kyogo (Furuhashi), Dimmy (Gray) off the right – a front four that haven’t played together at all. It looked like that in terms of the timing of the pass and the timing of the movement.
“Second-half there was a lot of spirit, a lot of endeavour, a lot better physicality, winning duels, being aggressive. It was all there – what we were missing in that first 20 minutes.”
Captain Christoph Klarer said Blues could have no complaints and didn’t deserve to win.
“We came out very slow and soft and they just kept on coming, wave after wave,” the centre-half admitted.
“What you can’t do when you are under the cosh a little bit is concede from a set-play and we did that, and it kind of put us on the back foot.
“We still had enough time to pull one back and the score the winner but we didn’t have enough quality again in the final third. We didn’t really test their ‘keeper at all.
“So I think we can’t complain that we lost.”
As for Blues decision making when trying to break through, Klarer said: “We have got some quality players going forward, not just the strikers. But we are struggling a little bit to create chances.
“We are getting there. We are getting the ball there but we are lacking a little bit. We are lacking something in the final third which we need to look at and improve.”
Davies said he still had belief in Blues and the direction of travel, despite this loss and the disappointment at Leicester City.
“We have competed – apart from the opening of this game – pretty well and have had the lion’s share of both games.
“But we have got nothing to show for it.
“That shows how difficult and challenging this league is and it’s not something that is a surprise to me in the slightest and what we are going through right now.
“We just have to make sure that we don’t lose too much heart from it, we learn from the mistakes we make, in terms of our start to the game and some of the things we did in the game.
“But there’s plenty there to be encouraged about still and I’m sure we will keep growing and improving as we go along.”
