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Image caption,

Jay Stansfield's goal on Tuesday, Blues' third in their 3-0 home win against Millwall, was only his second of the season

By

Ged Scott

BBC Sport, West Midlands

and

Richard Wilford

BBC Radio WM

  • Published5 minutes ago

Birmingham City record signing Jay Stansfield may have only scored two goals so far this season - but the way Blues are playing, coupled with his own form, has him hoping that there are still plenty more to come.

After his 12 Championship goals failed to prevent Blues being relegated in 2023-24, Stansfield then increased that number to 19 in League One to help win promotion when his loan signing from Fulham had been turned into a £15m move .

He added 10 more in the Championship last season to help Blues finish 10th - and is now within one goal of becoming only the third Birmingham City player to reach 50 goals for the club in the past 40 seasons - to follow Paul Furlong (56) and Stansfield's former team-mate Lukas Jutkiewicz (69) in that respect.

But he is now doing it in a very different role to when he first arrived at the club - and is very much enjoying playing as a foil to targetman August Priske, especially when, even withoutJanuary signing Priskeon the park, Max Bird set him up to score Blues' third goal in their early match-winning blitzat home to Millwall on Tuesday.

That was Birmingham's fifth win in six games since the three-week international break - and they now head into Saturday's home test against Swansea City having overtaken the early Championship leaders as third plays fifth, with both teams on the same points.

"We used the break to come together and work on a lot of things," Stansfield told BBC Radio WM.

"And you can see the improvement of the whole team in general. The starters and the bench players."

Figure caption,

Stansfield: 'We have a clear identity this season'

"The best teams are full of hungry players, raring to go," he added. "And everyone is in a good place.

"It's important that other players are chipping in with the goals. All the players we've brought on have done well. And it's so good to have direct wingers like Liam Millar and Demarai Gray who look to score goals."

Full-back Alex Cochrane got his second goal in successive games in the win over Millwall, beforeAugust signing Birdclaimed his first.

"Different people have been scoring, which helps us as forwards knowing someone else can step up and score," said Stansfield.

"The last few games I've really enjoyed and I'm developing more and more.

"Last season we were playing out from the back a lot, but now we're playing into a big striker in August. Our connection and understanding can only get better too.

"I used to love in my academy days getting on the ball and making things happen. I like to peel off the shoulder and get balls played in behind, and last season I wasn't doing much of that.

"Being the second striker and feeding off August, I've had some really good chances. As long as I'm getting chances, that's key. Now I've got one I can kick on."

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