Chris Davies Stands by Luis Vazquez After Derby Miss
Chris Davies is not about to join the pile-on.
While Luis Vazquez’s late miss at Derby County did the rounds online, clipped, replayed and mocked alongside some of the most infamous sitters in football history, the Birmingham City head coach has drawn a firm line.
To him, it was simple.
“A freak.”
“He could do that 100 times and score 100 goals,” Davies told BBC Radio WM as he prepared for Middlesbrough’s visit to St Andrew’s on Saturday. “It can only make him stronger.”
The clip of Vazquez’s miscue in the 2-1 win at Pride Park was quickly turned into a meme, compared to the likes of Ronny Rosenthal and Roger Davies. The Argentine had the goal at his mercy, the chance to open his account for Blues, and somehow it stayed out.
Social media loved it. The dressing room, crucially, did not.
“He’s a tough cookie. He’s shown no signs of fragility,” Davies said. “I made a point to talk to him straight after the game last Saturday. And, when he scored a good goal in training this week, he got a big cheer from the lads.”
That reaction matters. Vazquez has yet to start a league game for Birmingham, used so far only from the bench, and that Derby chance would have been his first Championship goal. The hunger is obvious.
“He’s so desperate to score,” Davies admitted. “And we so want him to score. As soon as that first one goes in, it will all be forgotten about.”
Away points banked, home wins missing
While the Vazquez miss has dominated the chatter, Davies has been quietly pleased with what his side have done on the road.
Seven points from a possible 12 away from home is no small return given the schedule: Sheffield United, Wrexham, Norwich City and Derby County. Norwich remains their only defeat.
The nagging issue lies closer to home.
Birmingham are yet to win at St Andrew’s in the league this season, drawing 2-2 with Bristol City, 1-1 with Southampton and 2-2 with Wolves. Goals have come, control has not.
Even so, when he looks at the bigger picture, Davies sees progress.
“We’ve got the same amount of points as we did this time last season, but we’re a better team,” he said. “We’re more of an attacking threat, but we also look a bit more solid and more of a team.”
That word – team – is one he keeps coming back to. The early fixtures were billed as brutal, one of the toughest opening runs in the Championship. Birmingham have come through it with credit, if not perfection.
“There’s still room for improvement in a few areas, but we can’t say we’re not pleased with the start we’ve made, given the challenge we had,” he said.
What Davies likes most is not a pattern of play or a clever tweak on the tactics board. It’s something more basic, more old-fashioned.
“Our love of defending is clear to see. It’s as good as scoring a goal,” he said. “That takes you a long way. So much gets talked about systems but you can’t get away from commitment.”
Commitment, resilience, and a striker desperate for that first goal. Middlesbrough arrive next. St Andrew’s is still waiting for its first league win of the season. How long before Vazquez and Birmingham both break their duck?
