Dykes: Birmingham’s Depth Sufficient to ‘Win Something’

Lyndon Dykes, the Birmingham City striker who transferred from QPR on transfer-deadline day in August after scoring in his initial Championship appearance of the season, suggests that his team’s victory over fellow League One club Blackpool in the FA Cup, achieved with a significantly altered lineup, demonstrates their squad’s capacity to “win something.” This assertion comes as they prepare for a crucial fixture against promotion rivals Stockport. An early goal from Dykes set the Blues on course for a 2-1 triumph at Bloomfield Road, securing their progression to round three where they will face another third-tier team, Lincoln City. This marked the Scotland international striker’s initial goal for the Blues since his score against Fulham Under-21s in a 7-1 victory during the Bristol Street Motors Trophy (now known as the Vertu Trophy) in late October. Speaking to BBC Radio WM, Dykes stated, “I want to score goals, my game’s an all-round one but I want to score and it’s nice to get an opportunity to do that.” He added, “I don’t mind playing anywhere on the pitch – I’m happy to get 90 minutes.” Throughout the Blues’ commendable season to date, Dykes has predominantly been a substitute. Out of his 12 league appearances, nine have been from the bench, as manager Chris Davies has primarily favored Jay Stansfield and Alfie May in the starting lineup. However, with Davies implementing 10 squad alterations for the cup fixture, the former Queens Park Rangers striker Dykes capitalized fully on his chance. He commented, “It’s not hidden that we’ve got a massive squad and a lot of the boys are disappointed when they’re not playing – including myself – but we did well and came away with what we wanted.” Dykes further added, “We’ve been working hard on the training pitch and we all need to be fit and ready because when the time comes we need to make sure we’re ready.” Dykes’ performance could prompt Davies to reconsider his selections before Wednesday’s significant fixture against fifth-placed Stockport, who currently trail Birmingham by three points in the League One standings. Stockport, last season’s League Two champions, will visit St Andrew’s having secured three consecutive league victories. This match initiates a crucial sequence of games over the coming week for the third-placed Blues, who will then travel to face fellow promotion hopefuls Barnsley on Saturday, followed by their last-32 Vertu Trophy encounter at Exeter on 10 December. Dykes commented, “You want to win every game and we all play lots of games and we have to cope with it and get on with it.” He continued, “The football doesn’t change and suits the way the manager wants to play and that suits us.” Dykes also noted, “We showed a different side to us [against Blackpool] and showed we can be both a football team and one that can be more direct.” He concluded by saying, “If we want to win something, that’s what we have to have.”