Chris Davies highlights Ayumu Yokoyama skill Birmingham City 'need to utilise'
Chris Davies hailed ‘one-v-one specialist’ Ayumu Yokoyama after the Japanese winger starred in Birmingham City’s Vertu Trophy victory at Swindon.
Yokoyama opened the scoring in Wiltshire with his fourth goal of the season – and second in successive matches – as Blues recorded a 2-1 win to advance to the quarter-finals of the Vertu Trophy. Blues are now just two games from a trip to Wembley.
“I was happy with us overall,” reflected Blues boss Davies after his team recorded their 24th win of the season. “We didn’t create loads of chances but I liked the look of us.
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“It wasn’t easy in terms of the condition of the pitch to be too fluent with our football but we were good. We had good moments with Ayumu in particular down the left side, he looked really dangerous for us. We got ahead in the game and you thought that was going to be it but they scored and there was a bit of drama at the end, but I’m happy with the winning goal.”
Yokoyama has started all five games in the Vertu Trophy and is now Blues’ top scorer in the competition. Davies has used the 21-year-old more sparingly in League One, but he has at least made a case for a more regular place in the squad with his showing at the County Ground.
Davies added: “He took his goal really well. He had a bit of time to think about it when he was slipped in but it looked very natural the way he took it.
“He has been good. He’s still adapting, still learning and it’s sometimes harder for him in these games where it’s so direct and so physical.
“If you’re that right-back for Swindon you will be happy to see the back of him. It felt like every time he had the ball he was really going after him. He’s a one-v-one specialist so we really need to utilise him and build upon that.”
