What Tomoki Iwata did that Chris Davies wants you to see and Kanya Fujimoto snub explained

Birmingham City talking points after the thumping 4-0 win over Millwall on Tuesday night

Millwall became the latest side to walk away from St Andrew’s with a beating after Birmingham City hit four for the second time in four days.

Chris Davies’ Blues have found their rhythm in the Championship and hammered fourth-placed Millwall with goals from Paik Seung-ho, Demarai Gray, Alex Cochrane and Jay Stansfield.

Blues moved up to ninth in the Championship ahead of their final game before the international break against Middlesbrough.

Here are our post-Millwall talking points…

What a difference 10 days makes

The last 180 minutes of football has proved Blues can be a really well-balanced, effective Championship team.

Davies has spent much of this season searching for combinations throughout his XI, be it in defence, midfield or attack. Step forward the formidable central defensive pairing of Christoph Klarer and Phil Neumann, midfield playmakers Tommy Doyle and Paik and the hugely exciting attacking partnership of Stansfield and Marvin Ducksch.

All of a sudden Blues’ system is working like a dream. Patrick Roberts and Gray are wreaking havoc out wide, Tomoki Iwata’s remarkable engine knows no limits, Doyle is dictating, Paik is purring once more, Stansfield is scoring and Ducksch is a difference maker.

The Championship can turn quickly, so everyone of a Blues persuasion would be wise to stay calm, but on the evidence of the last two games maybe, just maybe, this team is finding its feet.

Ducksch and Stansfield partnership ignites

There is a saying in football that you are only as good as your strikers and Blues now seem to have an exciting combination up front.

Blues have waited for Ducksch to get fit in the hope that he would be everything his career says he is: a high-level footballer who scores and creates goals for fun.

A goal hasn’t arrived but Ducksch has created plenty of chances in his last two starts. Two pre-assist passes against Millwall tell you Ducksch was at the heart of Blues’ best attacking play in his 59-minute outing.

Ducksch’s footballing IQ is high, possibly higher than the Championship on recent evidence, and Stansfield is benefitting from playing alongside him.

Blues’ long-time talisman is buzzing around the box in a goal-hungry fashion and now has nine goal contributions – seven goals and two assists – this season.

Iwata has given Blues a new dimension

There is a train of thought that Roberts is more effective when hugging the touchline rather than coming inside from his starting right-wing position and Iwata is allowing him to flourish.

Iwata is more than happy to underlap Roberts and the Japanese midfielder’s makeshift stint at right-back has dramatically improved Blues’ output on that side.

But make no mistake about it, Iwata has the legs to go on the outside of Roberts too in the way Ethan Laird would have bounded forward last season.

In a vital move to create space for Roberts to cut in and craft Blues’ fourth goal against Millwall, Iwata powered around the outside of his teammate to remove a defender from his path.

“Sprint distance I know he was the highest in the game against Portsmouth and he would be again tonight,” Davies said of Iwata. “If you watch him he doesn’t just run, he sprints a lot of the time.

“That’s the difference. When he’s overlapping or making forward runs it’s exceptional.

“He gives absolutely everything and his ability to invert into midfield and when to do it and how to do it has been excellent. It’s allowed him to combine well with the midfielders and with Patrick. Defensively he has been very reliable.”

Kanya Fujimoto’s latest snub explained

Now to clear up Kanya Fujimoto’s absence. When the team news rolled in at 6:30pm everyone was pleased to see Davies had kept faith with the XI that walloped Portsmouth and it bore fruit.

The only change to the squad saw Jack Robinson return from suspension to take Fujimoto’s place on the bench. Robinson joined fellow centre-back Eiran Cashin and full-back Bright Osayi-Samuel on Blues’ bench to provide defensive cover.

Fujimoto, who has only made one appearance in the Championship as an 89th minute substitute against Sheffield Wednesday, isn’t injured.

Clearing up Fujimoto’s omission, Davies said: “That was purely a tactical selection on the bench.”

It lends itself to a wider question as to whether Fujimoto will get his chance at Blues and why the club signed him.

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