Chris Davies opens up on Birmingham City striker situation with message to Stansfield and May

Chris Davies is convinced Jay Stansfield and Alfie May can play together – but warned Birmingham City’s strikers to put the team first.

Stansfield and May failed to combine effectively in Blues’ clash with Walsall last week but Davies is unlikely to abandon the experiment after one match. Record signing Stansfield and four-goal top scorer May will be given time to familiarise themselves with one another.

After the Walsall game, where Stansfield occupied the central striker position with May slightly deeper, Davies stated that he wants to play the former Fulham forward on the last line of opposition defences. The question is now whether that means May’s position alters, or whether Stansfield starts somewhere else and drifts into the number nine role when Blues are in possession.

On the eve of Blues’ game with Wrexham, Davies said of Stansfield: “He’s a player that can play as a nine, or he can play as a winger as he did against us for Fulham, but if he’s a winger he is one that comes inside more and makes out to in runs. He can drop off and link as a 10 a little bit. He’s pretty flexible in his position.

READ: Blues CEO explains Tom Wagner ambition and American takeover detail

READ: I keep overlooking Blues summer signing – Chris Davies won’t

“With his speed and energy, I think he’s a really good player to have on the last line to be dangerous with his runs and his brightness. But he can definitely play a little bit deeper so it’s really good to have that flexibility. It gives you more unpredictability as well.”

Davies won’t care who scores the goals as long as Blues continue their strong start to the League One season. He has told Stansfield and May – and his other two centre-forwards – to play for the team, not themselves.

“There’s lots of examples in my career working with different strikers where they find a connection together and play together in different systems and different ways,” added Davies. “We’ve obviously got Lyndon Dykes as well, and Lukas Jutkiewicz.

“We’ve got good options there. What’s important is whatever system or role they play, they play it as a team basically. There must be a good connection between them and the other players.

“Alfie is definitely one of those that can play as a nine, as a 10, he’s even played wide. They are both similar in that they aren’t an out-and-out pure nine and that’s it.

“Lyndon is more of a focal point, and the same with Jukey, but both of them can link it a bit by dropping in. Alfie and Jay are probably even more flexible. That’s something for me to work out, how to best position them depending on the opposition.”

How do you think Davies will use Stansfield and May against Wrexham? Let us know in the comments HERE