Birmingham City manager Chris Davies has publicly supported goalkeeper James Beadle following the player’s costly error during the 96th-minute defeat to Queens Park Rangers. Beadle was at fault for Kieran Morgan’s winning goal on Tuesday and also struggled during Southampton’s three-goal victory the previous weekend.
Despite these mistakes, Beadle’s overall performance has been commendable. At St Mary’s Stadium, he made a series of crucial saves that prevented a heavier defeat for the Blues. Since taking over from Ryan Allsop in early October, Beadle has started 12 Championship matches and maintained three clean sheets.
When asked if Beadle’s position in goal is at risk, Davies emphasized the importance of consistency but also highlighted the unique challenges goalkeepers face. “With all of them, you have to perform to stay in the team, that’s the way it is,” Davies said. “Obviously you’ve got to be sensitive with the goalkeeper position because it’s not like a winger where you can jink in and out, you have to be more definitive and give them time in that position.”
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Davies praised Beadle’s honesty and professionalism, noting that he takes responsibility for his errors instead of shifting blame. “He will admit when he could have saved something or feels he could have done better, rather than blame a defender or blame the wind,” Davies explained. “He will own the situation and I think that’s a really good quality actually and why he’s got a great chance of really going on in his career to the very top.”
The manager also spoke highly of Ryan Allsop, who serves as Beadle’s competition for the starting spot. “In Ryan, what we have is a very good – at this moment in time – number two as such. I wouldn’t even call him that, I would say it’s two number ones because of how many games he’s played and how well he’s done. I’ve got a lot of trust and confidence in Ryan as well which puts us in a good position there.”