Wayne Rooney should continue to play Jay Stansfield for Birmingham City this season.
In his first game as the manager of Birmingham City, the 38-year-old Wayne Rooney led the team but suffered a setback with Middlesbrough’s late winner. As of October 25th, his side occupies the 11th position in the Championship, having secured five wins in their first 12 league matches.
Rooney has now had two weeks to familiarize himself with his new squad and implement his chosen tactics. In his debut match for the club, he opted for a 4-3-3 formation, but his team struggled to score.
The manager faces important decisions regarding his starting eleven in the near future, but Football League World has identified one player that Rooney should retain in his lineup.
Who is Jay Stansfield? Jay Stansfield, a 20-year-old forward, joined Birmingham in the summer on loan from Premier League side Fulham. During his impressive loan spell at Exeter City in League One last season, he caught the attention of many by scoring nine goals and providing seven assists in 36 appearances for his late father Adam Stansfield’s former club.
Stansfield, originally a regular goal scorer for Fulham’s Under-18 team, made a few senior appearances, including three in the Premier League. His first senior goal came in August 2021 against his current club, Birmingham City, in an EFL Cup match.
How has Stansfield performed at Birmingham City so far?
Despite his successful loan spell in League One, transitioning to regular Championship football was expected to be challenging for Stansfield. However, he seems to have adapted well.
Since joining the club in late August, he has started all but one game, scoring three goals in eight league starts. Although primarily a striker, Stansfield has showcased his versatility this season, occasionally appearing as a number ten behind players like Scott Hogan or Siriki Dembele.
In Birmingham’s away match against Norwich, he began on the left wing, and in Rooney’s first game in charge, Stansfield was positioned on the right side of a front three.
The 20-year-old has garnered a positive reception from fans at St Andrew’s this season, and under the guidance of one of England’s greatest strikers, Wayne Rooney, he has the potential to excel.
Why should Rooney continue to select Jay Stansfield?
If Rooney chooses to maintain the 4-3-3 formation he employed in his initial game with Birmingham, he will need to make important decisions about his front three.
Jay Stansfield is the one player whom the Blues’ boss should retain in the lineup if he aims for success. His versatility allows him to play on the wing when necessary, in addition to his usual role as a center forward.
Stansfield’s successful loan spell at Exeter last season demonstrated that he excels as a number nine. Furthermore, under the mentorship of Wayne Rooney, one of England’s greatest-ever strikers, he is likely to continue to shine.
While Birmingham boasts competent strikers in Lukas Jutkiewicz and Scott Hogan, Fulham loanee Jay Stansfield has proven himself as the primary threat when leading the attack.
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