I was left frustrated watching Jay Stansfield in Birmingham City’s defeat at Norwich
Alex Dicken gives his reaction to Birmingham City’s 2-0 defeat to Norwich City at Carrow Road
Jay Stansfield was one of the few Birmingham City players whose performance level didn’t drop during the 2-0 defeat to Norwich City.
A below-par Blues were deservedly beaten at Carrow Road, but Stansfield was among the handful who emerged with credit. It was a typically tigerish performance from Blues’ new fan favourite, albeit without the goal that we have come to expect from him.
Yet most of us left Carrow Road with a tinge of disappointment. Stansfield started the game out on the left wing, with Koji Miyoshi in support of striker Scott Hogan.
Stansfield’s position was probably more out of necessity than preference for John Eustace, who has been dealt a bad hand with injuries in recent weeks. Keshi Anderson is side-lined and Blues’ other left winger, Siriki Dembele, clearly wasn’t ready to start against the Canaries.
Playing Stansfield out wide reduces his opportunity to get into the positions which he thrives in. If Stansfield isn’t to be Blues’ centre-forward, he needs to play number 10. Blues need their most potent goal scorer in positions where he can hurt their opponents.
In fairness to Stansfield, he still caused damage to Norwich out wide in that first half. He pulled back two crosses from the right that Oliver Burke and Scott Hogan failed to convert. If only Stansfield had been on the end of those crosses.
Eustace clearly recognised the need to play Stansfield centrally at half-time and tweaked things in the dressing room. Stansfield came out and played alongside Hogan, with Koji Miyoshi to the left and Burke to the right.
Miyoshi fed Stansfield for his big chance but a combination of Shane Duffy and Angus Gunn thwarted the on-loan Fulham man. Had Duffy not got his studs on Stansfield’s shot and deflected it towards Gunn’s body, Stansfield would have put Blues 1-0 up.
As it happened, Gabriel Sara and Jonathan Rowe would put the game beyond Blues within five minutes of Gunn’s save from Stansfield. Blues huffed and puffed, largely through Stansfield’s unwillingness to relent the pressing, and created openings in the final 30 minutes, but the game was gone.
It was far from a disaster. Stansfield is a good wide player, but he is even better in the middle – nearer to the goal. That is where Blues need him.
