Birmingham City manager Chris Davies is implementing a carefully crafted two-week strategy to prepare his squad for an intense period of Championship football following the international break.
Strategic Break Before Fixture Frenzy
The Blues face a demanding schedule with 11 league matches in just 44 days, beginning with Norwich City's visit to St Andrew's on November 22. This represents a significant increase in frequency compared to their first 15 games, which were spread over 93 days.
Davies recognises the current international break as crucial for player recovery. "It's a mixture of a few days off and then training time just to keep the fitness levels up," Davies explained. "I think they need it. It's been a big week... they certainly deserve that little bit of respite to refresh because it's going to be a big winter ahead."
Norwich Arrive With New Manager
For the second consecutive match, Birmingham will face a team under new leadership when Norwich visit. The Canaries recently sacked Liam Manning after a poor start to the season that saw 10 defeats in their opening 15 Championship matches.
Former Norwich players Russell Martin and Gary O'Neil are early favourites to take over, meaning Davies must prepare for an unpredictable opponent experiencing a managerial bounce.
Knighthead's Continued Investment
The club's owners have demonstrated their commitment to improvement with another training ground enhancement. The media conference suite at Henley-in-Arden, which also serves as the team meeting room, now features specially designed gaming-style chairs from Secret Lab.
These high-tech chairs, embroidered with the club logo and the letters KRO, represent Knighthead's ongoing investment in facilities, ensuring players have the best possible environment for preparation and recovery.
Blues will be backed by another sell-out away following when they travel to Southampton next month, with just shy of 3,000 fans making the journey to St Mary's. Meanwhile, Blues Women face a crucial fixture against Nottingham Forest as they seek to keep pace with league leaders Charlton Athletic.
