Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has issued a direct challenge to his squad, urging them to use their gritty away draw as a springboard for a vital victory in their next Championship fixture.
A Point Earned Through Grit
The Blues secured a 1-1 draw away to Swansea City on Saturday evening, ending a barren run on their travels. The result at the Swansea.com Stadium marked Birmingham's first point away from home since November, a statistic Davies was keen to address.
Patrick Roberts was the hero for the visitors, scoring an 18th-minute equaliser to cancel out Zan Vipotnik's first-half opener for the Swans. Davies highlighted the intangible qualities his team displayed to claw back into the match.
Davies's Half-Time Demand
Reflecting on the performance, Davies acknowledged a difficult start where Swansea controlled possession. He pinpointed the need for greater aggression after the break.
"I said that to the players at half-time: ‘We’re right in this game but we need to be more aggressive," Davies revealed. "We need to press them more. We need to be 10 or 15 yards higher up the field with our defensive line and we need to get on the ball and play quicker.' I thought we saw a much better performance in the second half."
The manager viewed the character shown as a blueprint for future away performances, describing it as a platform to build upon.
The Sheffield Wednesday Challenge
Attention now turns swiftly to a crucial midweek trip to face Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday. With the Owls currently occupying the league's basement position, Davies sees a prime opportunity for his side to take the next step.
"We have the opportunity to go a step further against Sheffield Wednesday," Davies stated. "We should anticipate it being a very difficult match but we have a chance away from home to go and get that victory. We’ve got to go for it."
The mission is clear for Birmingham: transform the resilience shown in Wales into three points in South Yorkshire, securing their first away win in three months.
