Birmingham City manager Chris Davies is witnessing the emergence of a devastating new attacking weapon, with the partnership between Patrick Roberts and Tomoki Iwata on the right flank becoming the team's primary source of creativity.
A Partnership Forged by Necessity
The dynamic duo's collaboration began out of necessity last month. Davies was forced to deploy natural midfielder Tomoki Iwata at right-back following an injury and subsequent suspension to first-choice defender Bright Osayi-Samuel.
The initial signs were promising in matches against Wrexham and Bristol City. The pairing then truly flourished in Birmingham's back-to-back 4-0 victories against Portsmouth and Millwall, showcasing a level of understanding that has since become integral to Davies' tactical setup.
Animating the Coach's Blueprint
While the tactical plan typically asks the right-winger to drift inside, with the full-back providing width, Roberts and Iwata have added their own interpretation. Roberts often hugs the touchline, while Iwata makes aggressive, underlapping runs into central areas he knows from his midfield career.
"They have brought it to life," Davies stated. "As a coach you set guidelines around positioning but the players animate that. That is a good example of two players who have been guided into their positions and put their own slant on it."
The manager was particularly keen to highlight Iwata's selfless role, noting the Japanese player's sprinting and change of speed are crucial to creating space for Roberts, even pointing to the 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough where Iwata's immense effort was evident.
The Statistical Impact
The numbers underscore Roberts' influence as the attacking outlet. In his 10 appearances, he has contributed to three goals and, most impressively, has created 19 chances in the Championship – more than any other Birmingham player this season.
Davies, however, insists the credit must be shared. "I think you have to mention Tomoki Iwata in the same breath really at the moment because of his movement around him to create space," the Blues boss explained.
He also praised Roberts' direct ability, calling him a 'one-v-one specialist' who is capable of going both ways and delivering quality crosses.
With midfielder Paik Seung-ho now injured, Iwata could be needed in his original position, but Davies appears reluctant to break up a partnership that has quickly become his team's most potent attacking combination.