Chris Davies makes Iwata transfer admission after making

Many of us can’t believe Birmingham City has so many midfield options in League One.

Paik Seung-ho of South Korea and Tomoki Iwata of Japan paired in the engine room on Monday as the Blues overwhelmed top-of-the-

table Wrexham. Taylor Gardner-Hickman, a 22-year-old midfielder with around 100 Championship appearances under his belt, started at

right back. Marc Leonard, who had excelled with his exploits at the base of the Blues’ midfield prior to Iwata’s arrival, watched from the

bench.

Manager Chris Davies is less surprised. Blues have deliberately hoarded four Championship-level midfielders in the third tier.

“We’ve got good depth in that area now and it’s important they are all pushing each other,” added the coach. “If the performance level

dips, there will be someone waiting to take over, which is exactly what I want. It may not be the most comfortable thing for players at

times, but it is the method to get the best level of performance, which is exactly what we require.”

Paik and Iwata’s performances against Wrexham make it almost impossible for Davies to overlook them against Rotherham. Not only did

the duo connect for the Blues’ decisive third goal, with Paik assisting Iwata’s thundering long-range shot with a lovely touch into his path,

but they also dominated the midfield with sharp, precise passes.

Iwata could perhaps be Paik’s equal. The 27-year-old was enticed to Blues from Celtic, where he played Champions League games last

season, by the chance of joining the Premier League.

The role of Davies in the arrangement to sign Iwata should not be underestimated. Before joining Blues, Davies worked for Ange

Postecoglou, who signed Iwata for Celtic, and current Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, thus recommendations were readily available.

Davies said, “Iwata was a target we had been pursuing for a while; we really wanted him here and knew everything about his abilities. As a

midfielder, he possesses a diverse skill set. He has the technical talents and knowledge of the game, but he also has physicality and

muscle.”

He went on to say, “We know Marc’s caliber from his time with us. Paik has been around for a while and is an extremely talented player.

And Taylor has proved that he can play in a variety of spots.

Every manager desires this level of depth, but few have the opportunity to achieve it. League One managers typically only dream of such

advantages.

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Chris Davies makes Iwata transfer admission after making Birmingham City stars uncomfortable