Birmingham City’s Chris Davies on Luis Vazquez’s Miss and Team Resilience

Chris Davies is not flinching. Not over one miss, however viral it went.

Luis Vazquez’s late chance at Derby County – the one that should have wrapped up Birmingham City’s 2-1 win and instead turned into a social media punchline – has been spliced, replayed and dropped into compilation reels alongside some of football’s most infamous sitters, from Roger Davies to Ronny Rosenthal.

Inside the club, though, the mood is very different.

‘A freak’ – and forgotten once he scores

Ahead of Middlesbrough’s visit to St Andrew’s on Saturday, Davies moved quickly to shut down any notion that his Argentine striker is damaged by the episode.

“It was a freak,” he told BBC Radio WM. “He could do that 100 times and score 100 goals. It can only make him stronger.

“He’s a tough cookie. He’s shown no signs of fragility.”

Davies made sure the conversation with Vazquez started immediately after the final whistle at Pride Park. No awkward silence. No letting the memes do the talking.

“I made a point to talk to him straight after the game last Saturday,” he said. “And, when he scored a good goal in training this week, he got a big cheer from the lads.”

That training-ground finish drew a roar because everyone in the dressing room knows the stakes. Vazquez has yet to start a league game for Blues, used only from the bench so far, and that glaring miss at Derby would have been his first goal for the club.

He is waiting for lift-off. So are they.

“He’s so desperate to score,” Davies admitted. “And we so want him to score. As soon as that first one goes in, it will all be forgotten about.”

Strong on the road, questions at home

While Vazquez’s moment has dominated the online noise, Davies’ gaze is fixed on something more structural: Birmingham’s inability to turn performances at St Andrew’s into wins.

Away from home, the numbers are quietly impressive. Seven points from a possible 12 on the road – at Sheffield United, Wrexham, Norwich City (their only defeat) and Derby County – represents a solid haul from a demanding run.

The picture changes back in Birmingham. Three games, three draws: 2-2 with Bristol City, 1-1 against Southampton, 2-2 versus Wolves. Goals, yes. Control, not quite. Wins, not yet.

That tension now frames Saturday’s meeting with Middlesbrough. The away form suggests a side that can handle hostile environments and big occasions. The home form still needs a statement result to match it.

‘We’re a better team’

Davies, though, is not dealing in gloom. He has been reminded often enough that Birmingham’s opening stretch ranks among the toughest in the Championship. He likes what he has seen.

“We’ve got the same amount of points as we did this time last season, but we’re a better team,” he said.

“We’re more of an attacking threat, but we also look a bit more solid and more of a team.

“There’s still room for improvement in a few areas, but we can’t say we’re not pleased with the start we’ve made, given the challenge we had.”

He keeps coming back to one word: commitment. The tactical boards matter, but not as much as the attitude he sees in his back line.

“Our love of defending is clear to see. It’s as good as scoring a goal.

“That takes you a long way. So much gets talked about systems but you can’t get away from commitment.”

The memes will move on. The table will not. If Birmingham can finally turn St Andrew’s into a winning ground and if Vazquez can turn that first chance in, this early-season narrative shifts in an instant – from damage control to genuine momentum.