Birmingham City’s Stansfield Anticipates More Goal-Scoring Opportunities This Season
Birmingham City’s record signing, Jay Stansfield, has netted two goals so far this season but remains optimistic about the prospects ahead. The team’s recent performances, along with his own form, have him believing more goals are on the horizon.
Stansfield previously scored 12 Championship goals, which unfortunately could not save the team from relegation in the 2023-24 season. He later increased his tally to 19 goals in League One, aiding in Birmingham’s promotion. His loan from Fulham became a permanent move worth £15 million.
Last season, he added 10 more goals in the Championship, helping Birmingham finish in 10th place. As he stands just one goal shy of achieving 50 goals for the club in the past 40 years, he aims to join the ranks of Paul Furlong (56 goals) and his former teammate, Lukas Jutkiewicz (69 goals).
Stansfield plays a different role now than when he first joined the club and enjoys acting as a foil to target man August Priske. He recently scored Birmingham’s third goal during their impressive match against Millwall, with Max Bird providing the assist.
This victory marked Birmingham’s fifth win in six matches since returning from the three-week international break. As the team prepares for their home game against Swansea City, they have climbed the ranks to third place, tied on points with their fifth-place opponents.
“We used the break to come together and work on a lot of things,” Stansfield remarked during an interview with BBC Radio WM. He noted a notable improvement across the entire team, from starters to bench players.
He acknowledged the contribution of all players, emphasizing the importance of having various goal scorers on the team. “The best teams are full of hungry players, raring to go,” Stansfield stated.
In the match against Millwall, full-back Alex Cochrane scored his second goal in as many games, while Bird marked his first goal with the club. Stansfield expressed that having different players score boosts confidence among forwards, knowing that others can step up when needed.
Reflecting on his recent performances, Stansfield mentioned he is enjoying his role and finds that he is developing more with each game. He compared the team’s current strategy to last season, where they often played from the back, whereas now they capitalize on having a strong striker in Priske.
“I liked to get on the ball and make things happen during my academy days,” he added. “As a second striker feeding off August, I’ve been able to create several good chances. Now that I’ve scored one, I can build on that.”
