Chris Davies explains Emil Hansson change and team talk that inspired Birmingham City comeback

Birmingham City manager Chris Davies celebrates the win over Peterborough
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Chris Davies hooked Emil Hansson and Lyndon Dykes at half-time against Peterborough because he wanted ‘a fresh dynamic’ – and it paid off with replacements Keshi Anderson and Scott Wright helping Birmingham City to a 3-2 comeback victory.

The Blues manager surprised a few inside St Andrew’s by making a double change with Hansson among the team’s better performers in the first half. Hansson set Willum Willumsson up for Blues’ first goal and created another gilt-edged chance for Dykes.

Explaining his decision, Davies said: “As I said to the players, it wasn’t anything Emil Hansson or Lyndon Dykes had done wrong. It could have been anyone. Fresh energy and fresh dynamic was what I wanted at that point.

“Keshi coming on the left for Emil to give us something slightly different and Scott Wright coming on the right side to allow Willum to move into a midfield position and Jay (Stansfield) to move into a striker position. I just felt more than anything it was a chance of energy and dynamic to give us a different look. They both did that very well.”

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Davies went through the whole range of emotions on the touchline before fist-pumping every corner of St Andrew’s after Blues secured a sixth straight victory to move top of League One. The manager’s changes and half-time team talk proved decisive.

He added: “I spoke about the importance of our game and what we’re based on is aggression and making sure we understand how difficult every game can be, and that if we stayed disciplined in what we do then we would achieve our objective in the game. They stayed very disciplined and were relentless with that.

“We came out second half and I felt we had that edge. To score early was great and we pushed on from there. It was a challenge laid down to the players and they overcame it.”