Few anticipated that Phil Neumann would emerge from the summer as Birmingham City’s standout defender this season. The arrival of Dael Fry, an experienced Championship campaigner with nearly 300 games and a recent play-off final captaincy at Middlesbrough, seemed set to relegate Neumann further down the defensive pecking order.
However, manager Chris Davies has maintained faith in those who impressed at the close of last season, preserving the defensive partnership between Neumann and Blues captain Christoph Klarer.
Neumann has arguably been Birmingham City’s top performer in their first two Championship matches, contributing to clean sheets against Swansea City and Sheffield United. This form has made it difficult for Fry to break into the starting lineup.
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Davies praised Neumann’s adaptation and improvement, stating: “He did really well at the tail-end of last season and, with the greatest respect since he’s not a young player but an experienced one, he has clearly learned about English football. The adaptation has taken place for him in this league. Even though Bundesliga II is a physical league, there’s nothing quite like the Championship.”
Last season, Neumann occasionally found himself as the fourth-choice centre-back. Critics had pointed out that despite his 6ft 4in stature, he didn’t consistently use his physical presence to dominate the defensive area like Klarer. For instance, opponents such as Jimmy Dunne once outmuscled him to score, a scenario now less common.
Neumann has become increasingly robust in duels with Championship forwards, as demonstrated against the likes of Patrick Bamford and Tom Cannon, showing no signs of backing down. His partner Klarer expressed confidence in him: “Phil has improved massively since he joined us. Moving to England is a significant challenge for players and their families. I have always seen his potential - he has unique physique, pace, and strength. He faced tough periods last year, but stayed committed and worked hard, and he’s now reaping the rewards.”
One area that previously limited Neumann was playing out from the back, a concern highlighted during a February draw against West Bromwich Albion. Manager Davies struggled to find a left-footed partner to Klarer last season, with options like Jack Robinson, Eiran Cashin, and Jonathan Panzo failing to strengthen the defence significantly.
Towards the end of last season, a subtle shift in approach helped Neumann regain his spot. Instead of forcing short passes under pressure in defensive areas, Davies encouraged defenders and goalkeeper James Beadle to initiate attacks more directly, playing forward quickly. This approach has been sustained over the summer and into the current campaign.
Davies explained: “If you get caught with the ball near your box, your full-back needs to be deep and wide. Having a left-footer to progress the ball is very helpful. The best teams good at low build-up play typically rely on a left-footed player unless someone exceptional is involved - like Virgil van Dijk. We have avoided many risky situations recently by tweaking our initial build-up phase. We created good chances by beating presses with forward passes from a left foot, allowing options such as cutting inside onto the right foot and delivering diagonal balls. This adjustment changed our early build-up while other defensive aspects remained similar.”
Birmingham City are now less focused on intricate passing sequences to navigate pressing opponents; instead, they are comfortable playing the ball over the top when needed.
This tactical refinement has reduced risk at the back and helped Neumann deliver his best performances in some time - a turnaround that puts previous doubts about his future at the club firmly aside.
Transfer speculation surrounding Neumann six months ago attracted little attention, but now there is a collective relief that the 29-year-old has silenced rumours. Neumann himself remains focused: “It’s not on me; my agent handles calls. I don’t care about that. My focus is on Birmingham and doing well this season.”