Buchanan Emphasizes ‘Relentless’ Approach for Birmingham City’s Promotion Bid

Birmingham City defender Lee Buchanan, recently returned to fitness, has stated that the club, currently contending for the League One title, must maintain a “relentless” approach in their quest for promotion. Buchanan and Jay Stansfield were the players who scored for Birmingham City in their 2-0 victory against Bristol Rovers. The left-back registered his inaugural goal for Blues during Saturday’s 2-0 home triumph against Bristol Rovers. This match marked his initial league appearance since the conclusion of the previous season, which saw the club’s relegation from the Championship. This win against the Gas positioned Birmingham one point adrift of Wycombe Wanderers, who currently lead the league, with Birmingham holding a match in hand. Furthermore, Chris Davies’ squad possesses two games in hand over Wrexham, who sit in third place, one point and one position behind them. The success against Rovers represented Blues’ sixth consecutive victory across all competitions, sustaining their strong momentum as they get ready for a schedule of four matches within nine days during the upcoming festive period. Speaking to BBC Radio WM, Buchanan emphasized the necessity of persistence: “You’ve got to be relentless – stick to the plan, stick to how we play.” He added, regarding the upcoming fixtures, “All the lads will get game time over the Christmas period with how many games we’ve got. Everybody’s ready and whoever plays is ready to do their job.” Buchanan, who joined Blues from German Bundesliga team Werder Bremen prior to the 2022-23 season, endured a period of waiting, having been sidelined for the majority of the initial four months of the season due to recurrent calf issues. However, his return in the club’s EFL Trophy victory at Exeter a week prior marked his recovery, culminating in his first goal since netting for Bremen against Borussia Dortmund in August 2022. The 23-year-old commented on his absence, stating, “It’s been a long three or four months.” He expressed his satisfaction at returning to play: “I’ve played the last two games so it’s really good to be back out there.” Buchanan detailed the challenges: “It’s been really difficult. I came back from the first one [calf injury], trained for a few weeks and then had another injury in the same calf.” He reflected on the mental aspect, adding, “It can be tough mentally but you do it for days like that [scoring against Rovers].” He concluded, “It’s always at the back of your mind when you’ve been out for so long but once we got through that game [Exeter] it went out of the window and it feels normal now.” Amidst the demanding December fixture list, Buchanan identified reclaiming the top spot in League One as “the target” for the beginning of 2025, as the team readies itself for its upcoming match against Crawley Town on 23 December. He further remarked, “It’s always nice to do this for the fans and hopefully, come the end of the season, we’ll be in and around it.” Buchanan acknowledged the supporters’ loyalty, stating, “The fans deserve it after the season we had last season. We’ve just got to focus on our performance, how we play and we’ll get the results we want.”