It’s been described as a ‘statement win’, whatever one of those truly means.
Blues success at Norwich City, against an in-form side, on Carrow Road turf where they had not tasted victory for 11 visits stretching back to 2002, was welcome and wonderful.
It showed that maybe Blues away day malaise that has been an affliction this season could be a thing of the past.
And it was a combination of rapier-like thrusts as well as blunt broadsword defending that got them the points, 2-1.
This was not an expected win at a down at heel (and now relegated) Sheffield Wednesday, nor a functional, professional job on a limited Oxford United side, another team struggling and in the drop zone.
Those were Blues last two away victories, which came back-to-back.
No, this was against a revitalised Canaries who had won seven of the last nine at home and subsequently Blues were hoisted to the fringe of the play-off places.
In fact, at half-time, they were in the Championship’s top six and ultimately the result served notice around the division that the January window surgery looks to have left the patient in very good health as we reach the vital stretch of the campaign.
So, a statement. A real statement, one that would make you think perhaps we are looking at the real deal, would be to follow up at third place Millwall on Wednesday with more of the same.
Then we have Middlesbrough to come at St. Andrew’s on Monday, March 1st.
Any team with aspirations of promotion needs to be able to conjure game-changing moments on the road as well as be capable of grinding it out and not buckling under pressure.
Blues did a bit of both in Norfolk, racing into a two-goal lead inside 14 minutes thanks to swift, progressive play down the right-hand side and cool finishing.
It should have been 3-0 by the break but Jonathan Panzo was unable to turn in a Demarai Gray cross.
In the second-half, Norwich soon stirred and Blues had to show their mettle. They had to show much resolve.
James Beadle was key. His contribution is also the kind you need between the sticks away – goodness knows Blues have come up against goalkeepers who have raised their levels at St. Andrew’s often enough this season.
The depth of the Blues squad, after the January flurry of activity, was apparent.
Panzo kept his place in the backline from the FA Cup tie against Leeds United and was capable and calm. He brings a left-footer’s balance to the backline, too.
Tomoki Iwata returned and August Priske started, which meant that Tommy Doyle and Jay Stansfield could both gain respite.
Interestingly in the run-up to the match, Chris Davies commented about the options he had, not least in the front areas.
“When I am looking at games now . . . I always like to pre-plan what I might do in different scenarios, for example substitutions. And I don’t feel instinctively that there’s a bit drop off with whatever scenario I go for and previously I did. That’s no disrespect to the others players. And I probably flogged some players too much and they lost their efficiency. So what I have got to do is be quite strategic about this and pick the opposition, the game, the energy levels. Some of our players played 120 minutes and put an awful of into that (Leeds) game as well. These are all things in my mind in terms of decision-making. But we have also got different profiles of players now – Vicente is a bit different to Patrick, Priske is a bit different to Jay, even Osman is a little bit different to Dimmy – so they’re all different options; I have got to use them at the right time.”
Ethan Laird and Jack Robinson came back onto the bench after injury, too, to improve Davies’ hand further.
Laird replaced Bright Osayi-Samuel for the remaining 11 minutes – so now providing a game-long, non-stop vibrancy about one of the more demanding positions in the Davies system.
Blues have become more dynamic, more physical and more direct, post-January. And we saw that at Carrow Road.
Getting runners in behind to attack areas defences don’t like was writ large in the goals of Carlso Vicente and Marvin Ducksch.
Priske’s mobility and spring has provided Blues with a focal point who can occupy centre-halves, in the way Ducksch isn’t keen or suited to.
And you’d imagine the stronger and more attuned he becomes to English football, Blues will have a promising multi-faceted centre-forward on their hands.
The data suggests Blues still have more ways and means to utilise – but have also been altering what they do they past few weeks, and certainly in the Canaries game. Check out this thread from the insightful Expected Birmingham account on X:
It’s three away victories on the bounce now. The last time that happened was in 2015.
Blues – this new-look Blues – go down to the Den in confident mood and with the more tools to do the job than they had previously, and also a steelier mindset.
Should they be able to maintain the current performance levels and mentality, a play-off place in this tightest of contests to secure a berth would not be beyond them.
