Chris Davies Backs Striker Luis Vazquez After Viral Miss

Chris Davies is not interested in memes. Not when it comes to Luis Vazquez.

The Birmingham City head coach has watched the clips, heard the noise and seen his Argentine striker turned into a punchline after that extraordinary miss at Derby County. A chance that would have sealed the game, ended his wait for a first league goal and spared him the social media storm that followed. Instead, it went viral.

Davies backs his striker

“He could do that 100 times and score 100 goals,” Davies told BBC Radio WM, brushing aside the miss as “a freak”.

There was no public rebuke, no cool distance. Davies went straight to Vazquez at full-time at Pride Park, knowing what was coming once the clips hit the internet.

“I made a point to talk to him straight after the game last Saturday,” he said. The message was simple: this does not define you.

Back at the training ground this week, the mood told its own story. Vazquez scored a tidy goal in a session and the reaction from his team-mates was instant.

“When he scored a good goal in training this week, he got a big cheer from the lads,” Davies revealed. “He’s a tough cookie. He’s shown no signs of fragility.”

Vazquez has yet to start a league game for Blues, used so far as an impact option off the bench. That miss at Derby would have been his first Championship goal, the moment to settle him into life at St Andrew’s. Instead, the wait goes on.

Davies understands exactly how much the 23-year-old wants it.

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

The pressure is real, but so is the backing.

Strong on the road, questions at home

While the Vazquez miss grabbed the headlines, Birmingham’s broader picture under Davies is far more stable than the social media storm suggests.

Seven points from four away games is a solid return: wins and draws picked up at Sheffield United, Wrexham and Derby County, with only Norwich City managing to beat them on the road. It is the sort of away form that keeps you in the conversation in a long Championship season.

The frustration lies elsewhere. Back at St Andrew’s, Birmingham have yet to turn performances into victories. Three home games, three draws: Bristol City 2-2, Southampton 1-1, Wolves 2-2. Goals scored, points shared, wins missing.

Now comes Middlesbrough on Saturday, and with it another chance to answer the nagging question: why can’t this team win at home?

Davies, though, is not in crisis mode. Far from it. He has been reminded repeatedly that Birmingham’s opening run of fixtures ranks among the toughest in the division. He looks at the table, looks at his team, and sees progress.

“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.”

That last line matters. Birmingham under Davies are trying to blend sharper attacking play with the grit needed to survive the Championship’s grind.

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

Built on commitment

If there is a theme Davies returns to, it is not systems or shapes. It is attitude.

“Our love of defending is clear to see. It’s as good as scoring a goal,” he said. That is not a throwaway line. It is a marker of what he wants this Birmingham side to be known for.

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

This is the spine of his argument. Commit to defending, commit to the press, commit to each other. The rest follows.

For Vazquez, that commitment will need to show in a different way. Keep making the runs. Keep getting into those positions. Keep taking the shots that, for now, are being replayed for the wrong reasons.

One goal changes everything. One clean finish and the memes disappear, the “freak” miss becomes a footnote, and Birmingham gain another weapon for the months ahead.

Middlesbrough at home would not be a bad place to start.