To say it was a frustrating night for Birmingham City against Millwall would be an understatement.
The Blues couldn’t have asked for much better form ahead of a crucial clash against playoff rivals. Chris Davies’ side entered the game off the back of an eight-game unbeaten run in the Championship.
By the time that the full-time whistle sounded at The Den, however, that unbeaten run hadn’t just been brought to an end by Millwall, it had been obliterated. In a rapid flourish of goals, the hosts netted all three of their goals between the 25th and 49th minute to blow Birmingham away.
There will be quite the inquest back in the Midlands after such a defeat and that will undoubtedly raise questions about Jhon Solis’ red card.
Solis’ red card ended Birmingham’s hope
After conceding three quickfire goals either side of half-time, it seemed like things couldn’t get worse for Birmingham. And so, up stepped Solis to receive his marching orders in the 53rd minute. Suddenly, a difficult task at The Den became impossible for the visitors.
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The sending off itself, coming in the form of a second yellow card, was not one that Solis could have any complaints about. The midfielder was loose in possession and his desperate scramble to make up for his error could only result in a late challenge. Even he knew, sat expressionless, that his evening was over.
Davies was at least sympathetic in his post-match interview, telling reporters: “If you’re on a yellow card, you need to be really careful. He will learn. He’s a young player. He will learn and that’s what he’s here to do. He’ll learn a lot from tonight, I’ve no doubt about that.”
|
Birmingham |
Player Ratings vs Millwall |
|---|---|
|
James Beadle |
5 |
|
Bright Osayi-Samuel |
6 |
|
Christopher Klarer |
6 |
|
Jonathan Panzo |
5 |
|
Kai Wagner |
5 |
|
Tomoki Iwata |
5 |
|
Jhon Solis |
4 |
|
Carlos Vincente |
6 |
|
Jay Stansfield |
4 |
|
Ibrahim Osman |
7 |
|
August Priske |
5 |
After the second red card of Solis’ young career, Birmingham at least deserve credit for how they prevented a humiliating result. A comeback was always going to be out of the question, though.
That said, even in the first half, the Blues struggled to create against their in-form hosts and when Jay Stansfield did receive an all-important chance, he was as wasteful as he has been as of late.
Why Davies must drop struggling Stansfield
Birmingham fans will be growing tired of hearing it, but it is the reality. Stansfield is struggling to even come close to justifying his eye-watering £15m price tag.
For that price, games like Millwall away should feature a standout performance from the forward as he drags his side to victory. Stansfield produced more of a whimper than a roar in front of the Lions on Wednesday evening, though.
The one big chance that he did receive quickly found the palms of Anthony Patterson in the home goal. It was a tame effort from a striker who is yet to find his ruthless streak in the Championship this season.
Couple that with his inability to play a simple pass across from the box to set up a chance for winter arrival August Priske, and it really was a dismal evening for the forward. That moment just about summed up his recent performances, choosing to shoot rather than create what would have been a tap-in for his colleague.
|
Stansfield vs Millwall |
Stats |
|---|---|
|
Minutes |
80 |
|
Shots |
1 |
|
Passes |
5 |
|
Touches |
20 |
One look at the numbers and the 23-year-old’s problems become clear. He needs to get himself more involved. With 20 touches, it’s rare that a striker will leave their mark, unless of course it is Erling Haaland. But, after scoring one goal in his last 17 Championship games, it’s fair to say that Stansfield is no Haaland.
It’s a shocking record – one that the forward cannot hide from. If Birmingham want to bridge the five-point gap between themselves and the playoff positions, then Davies simply has a decision to make regarding his £15m man.
Given that the manager has opted to hand Priske the role of leading the line, with Stansfield in the role of creator behind him, there’s already enough evidence to suggest that he doesn’t trust the 23-year-old entirely.
Dropping Stansfield now, in favour of the likes of Patrick Roberts, should be Davies’ next big decision.
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