‘It’s Got To Me’ – Birmingham City Star Admits Outside Noise Impact
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Birmingham City forward Jay Stansfield has admitted that external noise has caught up with him at times this season, despite building resilience over recent years, but insists his priority remains giving his all for Blues.
Blues secured all three points on Wednesday night at St Andrew’s with a 2-1 victory over Preston North End, as the English forward opened the scoring to lift his side into tenth place in the Championship.
Stansfield had been enduring a lean spell in front of goal, with his previous strike dating back to February in a 2-1 home win against now-relegated Leicester City.
Having impressed on loan before making the move permanent, he joined Birmingham in a record £15m deal for a League One club and delivered a standout season with 19 goals, with one teammate highlighting the belief in his quality.
However, this season has seen a dip in consistency, with the forward managing ten Championship goals and six assists, marking a clear drop-off from the previous campaign.
Stansfield has opened up on the challenge of handling criticism, admitting that although he has become more accustomed to it over recent years, it can still take its toll at times, with this season bringing moments where it has had an impact.
He added that despite those difficulties, he has focused on delivering his best for the team, taking guidance from his family to keep working hard and channel that mindset into proving people wrong through his performances.
The 23-year-old told BluesTV: “Yes, it can get difficult, and like I said, coming out here and just getting on with it, I think.
“There’s obviously a lot of noise, and I’ve sort of got used to that now over the last few years, but it can get to you.
“And I think this year it’s got to me sometimes, but I’ve sort of forgotten about that and gone out and just done my best for the team.
“That’s what my family asks for, just to go out and work hard and prove people wrong at the end of the day.”
With just two games remaining, Birmingham have been tipped to finish the season strongly, however, with a playoff push now effectively out of reach until next term, one former Championship player believes manager Chris Davies could be facing the sack.
An ex-EFL figure also criticised sections of the support, branding fans ungrateful for failing to fully recognise the turnaround overseen by the Welshman.
Meanwhile, with Wrexham still chasing a top-six finish after securing promotion alongside the St Andrew’s outfit, a former Championship player has argued that Birmingham may ultimately view this campaign as a missed opportunity given their significant investment.
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