Birmingham boss Davies excited by Blues' surge in form

Chris Davies's Blues have picked up 10 points out of a possible 12 from their last four games to go fourth in the Championship [Shutterstock] It's long been old-school thinking in football from old-school managers that it's best never to look at a league table until 10 games have gone. Admittedly, this did not do much for John Eustace's career prospects at Birmingham City this time three years ago. After winning the 10th league game of the 2023-24 season, not to mention the 11th too, to lift his Blues side to sixth in the Championship, the board sacked him - and watched in horror as their team then went the other way under Wayne Rooney and slid towards eventual relegation. Now at the helm it is Chris Davies, the man who took over at the end of that horror season, won promotion back to tier two at the first attempt, then led Blues to 10th in their first season back in the Championship. Yet even Davies's own position with ambitious American-owned Blues was not without speculation from outside the club - both back in the summer and then again in the early weeks of this season when his side won just one of their first six league games and failed to win at all at home. Davies remained confident throughout that his side were in fact right on track, that their four home draws could all have been wins and that their early-season programme of fixtures had been very testing - and, since the return of football after the long international break, his confidence has proved to be justified. A derby victory against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns last weekend and then a four-goal midweek romp against bottom club Preston and Blues have suddenly picked 10 points out of a possible 12 from their last four games to go fourth in the Championship. "I'm definitely excited," Davies told BBC Radio WM. "We've looked like a really good team this season. We've looked strong, we've looked competitive and we've looked together. We can play and we can do the fighting. "There was a different feeling on Tuesday night. But if we're to do something special this season, we need a group of players who are going to be committed. It's a marathon. And we've only just got off the start line really." Blues now bump into a Queens Park Rangers side who sit one place below - but on the same 17-points-from-10-games mark, having both lost just once. On Saturday it's fourth v fifth and it will be Blues' unbeaten home league record matched with QPR's unbeaten away record. "They've changed from last year, more of a 4-3-3 than a 4-4-2," added Davies. "From what I've seen, they're playing the sort of attacking shape that nobody else has played against us. "They were big and strong physically when we played them last season but they have some quality players and will be a threat on the break. They'll look to come and play and put us on the back foot." But Blues have talent of their own, especially up front where August Priske's hard work and energy has turned into goals - three in two games - while Jay Stansfield looks sharp in his altered number 10 role. "August is an old-fashioned number nine who's come back into fashion. He's made a bit of a statement this week, he's starting to develop into a real handful and he'll hopefully to continue to take it in his stride," said Davies. "Jay Stansfield might not be getting his name on the scoresheet so much but he's looking much better in his link-up play." All the latest Birmingham City news