"Fairly wise move" - Chris Davies defended over divisive Birmingham City call | OneFootball

Chris Dykes opted for Lyndon Dykes to start up front as Birmingham City drew with Mansfield last time out.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Birmingham City dropped points for just the third time this season on Saturday as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Mansfield Town.

Chris Davies’ side were excellent in the first half and they deservedly took the lead when Willum Willumsson swept home in the tenth minute.

After that, it was one-way traffic for the remainder of the half as Blues dominated the ball, and created chances but they couldn’t find a second goal.

Lyndon Dykes struggles for Birmingham City

A triple change from Nigel Clough at the break altered the momentum of the match and the Stags equalised through Lee Gregory.

That set up a frantic final half hour, with Mansfield looking as likely as Blues to get the third goal. Whilst it didn’t come, with the pair settling for a point, it wasn’t for a lack of chances, as both had opportunities to take the lead.

Birmingham striker Lyndon Dykes missed a sitter when he failed to convert from close range after the ball fell loose and it summed up a tough day for the Scotland international.

The 29-year-old has yet to find the net in nine League One games since his summer move from QPR, so some fans are questioning his role in the side.

It was somewhat surprising to see Davies opted for Dykes against Mansfield, as Jay Stansfield’s return to fitness meant Alfie May was therefore on the bench.

Another summer recruit, May has impressed for Birmingham, but he was restricted to watching on until the hour mark in what was a divisive call.

But, when asked by FLW about that decision, fan pundit Mike Gibbs revealed that he could see the logic in the call, even if he acknowledged that Dykes struggled once more.

“I thought it was a fairly wise move to play Dykes over May," he said. "Mansfield are a physical team, if you look at the centre-backs, they were going to give us a very physical game, and Dykes has more of a physical presence than May.

“I think we knew that they would pack the midfield, so we had to bypass it, so you need someone who can receive the ball, control it and bring others into play - and Dykes can do that better than May.

“Had it been a usual game, with May running the channels, it would’ve been a better fit but I think it was a good choice with Dykes. I’m not quite sure it came off, as I don’t think he played very well at all. He missed a gilt-edged chance, he should’ve laid one on for May, and I think his all-round game was disappointing.

“A lot of the fan reaction afterwards is that people have been underwhelmed since he joined, and aren’t convinced by him.”

Lyndon Dykes will come good for Birmingham City

This is a tough period for Dikes, and it’s not ideal that it’s coming shortly after signing.

However, he is still a good player, especially for a League One side, and you would expect him to start scoring goals and contributing to the team over the coming weeks.

As outlined above, he has a different skill set to May and Stansfield, with his ability to hold the ball up and bring others into play a crucial attribute for Davies.

In truth, Blues should have had that game out of sight by half-time, and, if they had, then Dykes would likely have been praised for his part in a good team performance.

As it transpires, they dropped off a lot after the break, and he missed a golden chance. These things happen in football, but the decision to start Dykes was understandable, even if he didn’t have his best game.

Now, it’s about looking ahead, with Blues taking on Fulham U21 side in the EFL Trophy tonight, before an FA Cup clash at Sutton this weekend, as Dykes looks to get off the mark in royal blue.