Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has acknowledged that the club's previous approach, laden with brash Premier League ambitions, created unrealistic expectations that proved draining. Now, as they prepare for a second Championship season under his leadership, Blues are adopting a more measured strategy.
Last season, the pressure took its toll on a squad that had talked about back-to-back promotions but finished 10th, the club's best points tally since 2011/12. Davies faced questions over his future multiple times. Reflecting on the experience during a training camp in Lagos, Portugal, he said: "I have learnt so much since I’ve been a manager. It’s funny because I knew what it is having been so close to it for so long. If I go back to my very first day I could explain exactly what I’ve seen so there’s nothing that’s surprised me, but dealing with the emotions and pressure and everything – you are only able to learn about that when you go through it."
Learning from Pressure
Davies emphasized that the Championship's relentless nature was a key lesson. "I’ve learnt that the Championship is going to be like that whether you like it or not. Even Coventry had a spell. It can quickly feel like it’s unravelling," he said. He credited his handling of challenging periods, including the Tom Wagner situation, but admitted: "I didn’t get everything right, God no, but I’ll be better for that experience this year."
He now feels more settled, having built a foundation. "I don’t need to obsessively impose because they are almost like a machine now. I’ve built something and now I’ve built something I need to maintain it," Davies explained. However, he cautioned against expectations of rapid progress: "It’s going to be incremental. We’re not going to suddenly walk out next season and look like a Premier League team because we’re not going to spend that sort of money."
Financial Realities
Davies was keen to dispel the notion that Birmingham City are "super rich," despite spending over £25 million in League One and committing another £15 million in January for Carlos Vicente, August Priske, and Kai Wagner, plus £6 million for Jhon Solis. "That’s not true and the evidence will say that," he stated. With growing revenue, chief executive Jeremy Dale highlighted financial improvements at the club's awards dinner, but Davies must prioritize. Top of his wish-list is Ibrahim Osman, whose speed and direct wing play impressed in the final month of last season. Brighton are demanding a significant fee.
Style Evolution and Set Pieces
Davies outlined a shift in style, moving away from turning back to the goalkeeper to a more direct approach. "The last six or seven games was let’s not do that, let’s get the ball forward earlier, quicker to try and gain territory," he said. He aims for a hybrid style, but emphasizes scoring more goals: "Defensively we were as good as anyone... but we need to score 70 goals – we scored 57. How do we get 13 more goals? That’s why we’re looking at set pieces."
The appointment of Scott Fry as set-piece coach is a key part of this strategy. Fry, who built English football's most effective set-piece unit at Lincoln City, has already made an impact. "Scott did a set-piece introduction meeting at the hotel, and he will do it throughout the week," Davies explained. "What I love about Scott is that he’s got energy and enthusiasm... he makes it interesting and engaging." Davies hopes Fry can deliver six to eight additional goals from set pieces.
Building Togetherness
Davies is also focused on team spirit, which was tested last season due to high player turnover and unrealistic expectations. He is personally vetting prospective signings for character. "I think there was a combination of really unrealistic expectations last year and a huge churn of players, and to build a spirit under that situation was challenging," he said. He cited Thomas Tuchel's approach with England, having 15 starters and 10 good-character training players, as a model.
Togetherness is the watchword. Davies has stripped back slogans around the training ground, keeping only one: "We are the hardest working team in the world." He added: "If there’s one word that is the most necessary in a Championship season it’s togetherness. The teams that are most successful are that." He plans to hold a meeting with players to define their values, not gimmicks, to anchor them through the long season.
Davies concludes: "It took me six months to get to know half the squad last summer, I know them all now apart from Dael (Fry). They know me and I know them."
