Bombshell Birmingham City manager sacking deadline claims emerge ahead of next international break
Birmingham City have had a subdued start to life in the Championship after a big summer of spending
Under-pressure Birmingham City boss Chris Davies faces a career defining fortnight in the St Andrew’s dugout despite winning promotion in record-breaking fashion last term.
Birmingham were amongst the biggest spenders in the Championship over the summer. They signed the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Marvin Ducksch and Taylor Gardner-Hickman among others on permanent deals and also acquired high-profile free agents such as Demari Gray and Phil Neumann. However, they have struggled to hit their stride in the early weeks of the season and sit 12th in the division after 11 matches - 10 points adrift of league leaders Coventry City and three points behind the play-off places.
The Blues have been steady but unspectacular for a newly-promoted side, but their US-based owners are thought to be targeting much more. They’re said to hold the opinion that the squad has sufficient quality to secure automatic promotion this season and are thought to be considering a shock change in the managerial dugout despite the team’s recent 1-0 win over Preston North End.
Chris Davies is under pressure at Birmingham City
Football Insider claim that Blues boss Chris Davies has two weeks to prove he’s the man to lead Birmingham to the Premier League at the first time of asking after securing promotion from League One last term.
The outlet claims period between now and the next international break is critical for Davies in terms of keeping his Birmingham job. Shareholder Tom Wagner flew to the UK to watch a number of matches in person before the last international break and is claimed to have reiterated his desire for a top two finish in a recent meeting with Chris Davies.
Birmingham City must improve in the next two weeks
Birmingham City take on fourth placed Bristol City in a huge encounter at Ashton Gate. The Robins qualified for the play-offs last season with their highest league finish since 2008 but have so far looked even better this term under new boss Gerhard Struber.
They present a challenging test for Birmingham over the weekend before they return to home comforts to host Portsmouth in the first showdown of November. St Andrew’s also plays host to Millwall on Tuesday 4 November. Prior to last Saturday, Birmingham hadn’t lost a single home game under Chris Davies and they’ll hope to return to winning ways and make their home a fortress.
Birmingham’s last game before the international break, and potentially a defining one if there is substance to recent reports, is an away game against high-flying Middlesbrough, with their current form reflecting what Tom Wagner and Tom Brady were expecting at the start of the campaign.
The final international break of 2025 takes place between 8 November and 22 November, and could prove to be a period where Birmingham’s ambitious owners assess the managerial market to assess if they can find a suitable fit. Birmingham’s new owners have so far had a reputation for making a lot of changes, with the likes of John Eustace, Wayne Rooney, Tony Mowbray and Gary Rowett all having spells in the dugout during the team’s last Championship campaign.