Jay Stansfield has had a wonderful start to his Birmingham City career and could be crucial for John Eustace this season.
Birmingham City’s new ownership has brought about a beneficial transformation and renewed excitement for the club.
Manager John Eustace has developed a solid team capable of competing with any Championship side, addressing the team’s earlier goal-scoring issues.
Jay Stansfield, the youthful forward, has made a good start for Birmingham City and provides a different attacking threat, potentially speeding the club’s return to the top flight.
Birmingham City has undergone a summer of transition, with the club finally receiving the new ownership that fans had hoped for.
Birmingham City have begun an exciting new era.
The off-field difficulties that have hampered Blues are a thing of the past, with Tom Wagner’s appointment ushering in a new era of hope at St. Andrew’s.
This has created momentum, with John Eustace’s team having a terrific start to the season, with 11 points from five games.
However, the club isn’t simply riding the crest of a wave, as Eustace and the recruitment team have developed a solid team capable of competing with any side in the Championship on their day.
Bringing in Dion Sanderson and Krystian Bielik on permanent contracts was a wise move, while Cody Drameh and Lee Buchanan will provide energy down the flanks.
However, possibly the most exciting signing is Jay Stansfield, with the teenage forward already demonstrating his abilities after scoring two goals in two games for his new team.
What does Birmingham get from Jay Stansfield?
Eustace had a good debut season at Blues, but the fact that they finished in the bottom half was due to a lack of goals.
The Midlands team averaged slightly over a goal per game, with Scott Hogan the only player to reach double figures. Simply put, if the Blues want to compete for a spot in the top six, this has to change.
However, until the final week of the transfer window, Birmingham did not appear to have addressed the goal-scoring issue.
Tyler Roberts, Siriki Dembele, and Koji Miyoshi are all capable of adding quality to the last third, but they are unlikely to be clinical in front of goal.
However, Stansfield has the potential to change that, and the early signals are promising.
Crucially, even at his young age, Stansfield maintains remarkable composure when it comes to converting chances. His debut goal against Plymouth was a clever touch and forceful shot, which was followed by a calm effort into the bottom corner against Millwall.
Another appealing aspect of the newcomer is that his game is about more than just goals. The England youth international will work hard and is eager to contribute to the build-up, so Eustace will be pleased with his start to the season.
It’s still early days, but Stansfield was an unknown when he arrived at Birmingham after spending last season in League One.
Despite this, he appears to have established himself as Blues’ primary attacker after just two league games.
Birmingham’s new owners have stated their long-term goal of returning to the top division, and if Stansfield maintains his early form, it may happen much sooner than they anticipated.
