The data doesn't lie about Birmingham City forward Jay Stansfield. The 23-year-old striker has enjoyed a season of two halves in his first year back in the Championship, scoring his 50th league goal on Wednesday to help beat Preston North End.
Stansfield's 41 goals for Blues came after a run of 13 games without a goal, which drew criticism from fans. However, he has courageously used a psychologist to handle pressure and expectation as the club's record signing.
Position and Productivity
Stansfield has largely played as a number 10 this season, with 24 of his 39 league starts in that role. His return of 10 goals and seven assists places him in the top 10 Championship players for goal contributions, alongside names like Zan Vipotnik, Haji Wright, and Morgan Whittaker.
He has created 11 'big chances' for teammates, more than any other Blues player, and his work ethic and running power are unmatched in the squad.
Areas for Improvement
Stansfield's pass completion rate of 66.7 percent needs improvement, as does his ability to take the ball on the half-turn and thread passes to the centre-forward. The narrative that his season slowed since November is fair, but he isn't the problem—Blues feel an over-reliance on him when he goes on a drought.
Now out of his rut, Stansfield is focusing on next season after 97 games in two years, including the European Championships for England under-21s. If this is a bad season, one wonders what a good one looks like.
