It’s no great secret at St. Andrew’s that Birmingham City are expected to walk League One this season, with the Blues a definite sleeping giant for the division.
Take into account all the money that was splurged this summer on new recruits too, and it becomes even more obvious that promotion is the main goal, with Chris Davies’ men currently succeeding in their mission to instantly return to the Championship.
As they found out against Shrewsbury Town, however, Davies will know his promotion-chasing side can’t take any team in this league for granted, but will just keep everything crossed that the immense quality of players such as Jay Stansfield ends up shining through on the way to second-tier football being clinched.
Stansfield's performances this season
Stansfield’s return on a permanent basis to the Midlands must have been music to the ears of Birmingham fans during the busy summer transfer window after he had stood out as a bright spark on loan even as the Blues’ bleak relegation was confirmed.
Scoring 15 goals in all competitions in all competitions last season, the 21-year-old already has six next to his name in league action alone this time around, with his stunning performance versus Wrexham all the way back in September particularly memorable.
He also scored his side’s only strike against Northampton Town before the international break, but the Cobblers surprisingly fought back to pick up a 1-1 draw, having also netted in the surprise 3-2 defeat to Shrewsbury on Saturday.
Still, Stansfield’s renowned deadliness in front of goal will be key as Birmingham attempt to stroll to promotion in style, even if sometimes wins aren’t always forthcoming.
Even with this blistering start back in Birmingham blue, there is a former striker who used to call the West Midlands home. Remarkable, he is actually now bettering Stansfield’s output and in the Premier League no less.
The former Blue who's outscoring Stansfield
Amazingly, when Chris Wood was still attempting to find his feet in the senior game out on loan away from then-parent club West Bromwich Albion, the New Zealand international would find himself on the books of Birmingham in 2011.
He enjoyed a fruitful loan stint at the club too, helping himself to 11 goals from 29 games in total, which even saw him line up for the Blues in the Europa League during his one and only campaign.
Looking back, it was one of the more goal-laden loan stints Wood experienced, having also been on the receiving end of a torrid time at Ipswich Town, where he failed to score a single strike.
Still, those constant moves up and down the EFL would have all been useful learning experiences in their own right for the now ruthless attacker, who has been an absolute goal machine for Nuno Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest this season to date.
Games played
12
Goals scored
8
Expected goals (xG)
4.51 xG
Scoring frequency
115 mins
Shots per game
1.8
Big chances missed
6
Wood is bettering Stansfield’s goalscoring heroics at the very top of the English football pyramid, with eight strikes managed in the Premier League from 12 games, despite only accumulating an xG of 4.51. That places him ahead of Stansfield’s return of just six league goals in the third tier.
Everything the 6 foot 3 striker touches turns to gold at the moment, with Match of the Day pundit Stephen Warnock hailing Wood as “outstanding” after he scored away at Stamford Bridge in October.
Just always possessing that knack for being in the right place at the right time to instinctively fire home, it will be intriguing to see if the Forest forward can keep his electric form up across the bumper winter fixture period to come.
Stansfield will be striving to add more goals to his resume for Birmingham as well, with the former Fulham man eager to add to his tally once again after their match with Shrewsbury Town yesterday.
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