Birmingham City assistant manager Ben Petty has issued a full-throated defence of head coach Chris Davies, who was sent off during a controversial 1-1 draw with Southampton at St Andrew's @Knighthead Park on Monday evening.
A Night of High Drama and Controversy
The Championship clash was overshadowed by a major incident in the 71st minute, which led to the home manager's dismissal. Birmingham, fielding a makeshift defence, had taken a deserved lead through Phil Neumann's second-half header and had earlier seen Jay Stansfield hit the post.
The turning point arrived when referee Matthew Donohue appeared to impede Birmingham's Tomoki Iwata. Play continued, and within seconds, Southampton's Cameron Archer slotted home the equaliser. Chris Davies was first shown a yellow card for his protests on the touchline, before being given a straight red card moments later for continuing his vehement complaints about the goal being allowed to stand.
Petty's Spirited Defence of the Manager
With Davies banned from post-match media duties, his assistant Ben Petty stepped in and delivered a powerful endorsement of his boss, whose team is now on a six-match winless run.
"Obviously the manager is an emotional person, that's one of his strengths, and unfortunately he's received the red card," Petty told Sky Sports. "We felt Tomoki Iwata was clearly blocked. It obviously stopped him going for the ball and then they've gone through and scored."
Petty was emphatic in his praise for Davies's impact and character, seeking to deflect mounting external pressure. "We all love the manager, he's a brilliant coach, fantastic managerial skills, man-manager, and you can see he wears his heart on his sleeve – and that's one of his strengths," he stated.
Looking Ahead with Defiance
Despite the frustration of the result, Petty highlighted the positive performance against a strong Southampton side and insisted the team's league position is misleading. He also sent a clear message regarding Davies's future.
"I think you can see out there that the players were absolutely awesome for the manager tonight. They played out of their skin," Petty said. "I don't think he's going to change. That's why I came to the club to work for him and as far as I'm concerned he's the right man for this job."
He concluded with a forward-looking statement, adding: "I think the position that we're in at this moment in time is a false one... Let's see where we are with ten games to go, we'll be in about it." The draw leaves Birmingham seeking a vital win to turn their recent form around, but with the management team presenting a united front.
