Birmingham City’s return to the Championship in the 2025/26 season has been far from smooth, with inconsistent performances causing frustration among supporters as expectations continue to grow at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.
Manager Chris Davies is nearing two years in charge of the Blues after being appointed by Knighthead Capital Management in June 2024. A lot has happened at the club during that time. In his first managerial role, the 40-year-old guided Birmingham to a remarkable debut season, winning the League One title by 19 points. The club also broke spending records and set a new EFL points record with an incredible total of 111.
Despite that success, things have not looked entirely positive in recent weeks. Birmingham began 2026 strongly with a seven-match unbeaten run and were very active during the winter transfer window, bringing in six new players. However, results have since dipped, raising concerns among supporters.
With that context in mind, Football League World asked Birmingham City fan pundit Jason Moore which players might currently be unhappy with their situation at the club. Moore suggested that both goalkeeper James Beadle and striker Jay Stansfield could be among those feeling frustrated.
Birmingham’s owners, led by Tom Wagner, have ambitious plans for the future. The club is set to move into a new 62,000-seat Powerhouse Stadium as part of the massive Sports Quarter development in East Birmingham by 2030. Wagner has repeatedly spoken about his ambition to return the Blues to the Premier League for the first time since 2011.
While a steady season in the Championship would normally be considered acceptable following promotion, fans have grown increasingly disappointed after the club’s hopes of securing a play-off place began to fade due to poor performances.
Moore highlighted two players at opposite ends of the pitch — Brighton & Hove Albion loanee James Beadle and record signing Jay Stansfield.
Beadle has experienced a mixed campaign since joining on loan. The 21-year-old initially had to wait for opportunities before eventually replacing Ryan Allsop as Davies’ first-choice goalkeeper for much of the season.
However, Moore believes the young keeper may be unhappy, particularly because of criticism over his ability to play out from the back.
“I can’t imagine he’s too happy with Chris Davies constantly asking him to play out from the back when it’s clearly not his natural game,” Moore said. “I’d be surprised if he’s completely comfortable with everything going on.”
Moore also believes Stansfield has had to deal with significant pressure from supporters.
“Jay Stansfield is another player who might be unhappy because he gets a lot of criticism,” he added. “He gets it from opposition fans, and now he’s hearing it from his own supporters because his performances haven’t been good enough since the 4-1 win over Norwich back in November.
“Some of the criticism is probably a bit excessive, but that’s what happens when you’re seen as the poster boy for the project.”
Stansfield has been under scrutiny for much of the season, largely due to the transfer fee Birmingham paid to sign him on a seven-year deal in August 2024.
The England Under-21 international had raised expectations after scoring 12 Championship goals during his loan spell with the club before their relegation. However, since Birmingham’s 4-1 victory over Norwich in November, the striker has only found the net once.
Despite their current struggles, both Stansfield and Beadle remain young players still developing in their careers. In the long run, the challenges they are facing now could help them gain valuable experience and become stronger professionals.
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