Birmingham City worst Decission about Jay Stansfield

EFL pundit George Elek believes Chris Davies’ decision to partner Lyndon Dykes and Jay Stansfield together at the weekend will be a pairing we will see plenty more of as the season develops.

Dykes earned his first start for the Blues in a 2-0 victory over Rotherham United at the weekend, with the Scot moving to the club from Queens Park Rangers in the summer transfer window.

While fellow frontman Alfie May had been preferred in the recent 3-1 victory over Wrexham, the former R’s man proved just how influential he will be for the season ahead with his performance against the Millers.

The devastating impact the duo had against a side who will have also harboured promotion aspirations this season, has given Elek reason to believe that it is a pairing that Chris Davies will be erring towards more often than not.

George Elek backs Lyndon Dykes, Jay Stansfield decision

Dykes’ physical presence up top gave another dimension to the City side at the weekend, as he battled the Millers’ defenders time and time again, while also creating space for his teammates to exploit.

After making two substitute appearances before the visit to Yorkshire, the trip to the New York Stadium gave the Scot the perfect opportunity to showcase his worth after a reported £1 million move to St Andrew’s last month, and he did not disappoint.

Dykes came into the side in replacement of May, despite the former Charlton Athletic man notching four goals in his first five league matches of the season before the weekend, before only featuring in the final 12 minutes last time out.

With £20 million man Stansfield continuing to be among the goals himself, Elek is confident the starting strike partnership from the weekend is something we will see a lot more of in the weeks and months to come, despite May’s strong start to the season.

Speaking on the Not The Top 20 Podcast, Elek said: “I was impressed by Stansfield in the whole game, it was interesting to note that Chris Davies, despite Alfie May’s good start to the season, switched it up and played Lyndon Dykes up top through the middle, and Stansfield as the ten, and it really worked.

“It meant that Stansfield had a lot more licence with Dykes occupying the physical centre backs, and it meant he was always ghosting into space.

“Even more the goal itself – for Iwata’s goal – it came from a ball played into Stansfield’s feet, and a blocked shot.

“My hunch is that this is probably what we are going to see for the most part, it makes more sense for Stansfield to be playing off Dykes rather than try and wedge May and Stansfield in together, but we will see how that develops.”

George Elek backs Alfie May to contribute towards Birmingham City success

With Stansfield and May occupying a similar role within the team, there is every likelihood that the latter will find game time limited as Davies sticks with the player who has already scored three times in his first two matches after returning to St Andrew’s.

While May has also started the season in red-hot form, and earned his side plenty of points with his goals, there is sure to be a season-long battle for minutes at the business end of the field for the Blues.

That competition is only going to bring out the best in all the strikers at the club, and Elek believes we are starting to see the best from City as they get up to full speed for the season ahead.

He continued: “It is a great option to have, and I have no doubt that May is going to play some part this season.

“This was another example of Birmingham… my criticism of them in the first few games of the season was that we weren’t really seeing them be light years ahead of the opposition.

“They were having to rely on late games in marginal games, but I think when it has mattered against both Wrexham and against Rotherham, in a week they have been well clear.”