Chris Davies has told his Birmingham City players to show their resilience after a heavy Carabao Cup defeat. The Blues were thrashed 6-1 by Premier League Brentford at St Andrew's on Tuesday night, exiting the competition at the third-round stage.
Davies, who guided the club to the League One title last season, revealed the squad held a clear-the-air meeting following the loss. He insists the result will not derail the progress made over the past two years. "You lick your wounds. We sat down and had a meeting about it," the manager said. "We have to pick ourselves up now very quickly. Resilience is the number one thing in football, you need it."
Focus on Wrexham
The immediate chance for a response comes this Friday when Birmingham City host Wrexham in the Championship. Davies said the team has already moved on from the cup disappointment. "The good news is we have the chance to bounce back against Wrexham and we have put that game to bed now and move on," he stated. "It isn't going to derail anything."
The manager also confirmed he maintains regular contact with the club's hierarchy, including chairman Tom Wagner. Wagner, the frontman of owners Knighthead, has been absent since suffering a stroke in February. "I spoke to Tom Wagner on Wednesday," Davies said. "There is a shared disappointment, but equally we know we have a great opportunity on Friday night."
Davies acknowledged the inherent pressure of management, especially after a poor result. "I've always felt pressure. We are a bad week away from being under huge pressure here because you just have to win in football," he admitted. "You are only as good as your last game - and our last game was a poor one, but if you turn that around with a couple of good wins and performances, it can feel very different."
The focus is now squarely on securing a positive result against Wrexham to maintain momentum in the league. Davies will be hoping for a strong reaction from his squad as they look to climb the standings.
