![\"Tommy](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0_Birmingham-City-v-Oxford-United-Sky-Bet-Championship.jpg\")
Tommy Doyle of Birmingham City (Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\nBirmingham City have had to change their midfield in recent weeks with Tomoki Iwata pressed into service at full back<\/p>\n
16:27, 17 Oct 2025Updated 16:41, 17 Oct 2025<\/p>\n
Tommy Doyle of Birmingham City (Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Chris Davies sees Tommy Doyle as one of his defensive midfielders rather than in a more advanced attacking role – putting him into direct competition with Marc Leonard and his favoured pairing of Paik Seung-ho and Tomoki Iwata.<\/p>\n
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s visit from Hull City<\/a>, the Birmingham City <\/a>manager discussed his options in the middle of the park – with Doyle’s loan from Wolves yet to really ignite.<\/a><\/p>\n The 24-year-old has started just twice in the Championship this season – once in a failed experiment as a No. 10 at Stoke City and then in a deeper role in the previous home game with Sheffield Wednesday when he was subbed after an hour.<\/p>\n Blues fans liked what they saw from the former Manchester City trainee that night and having made their feelings known when he was replaced<\/a> had hoped to see him start the next game.<\/p>\n Addressing Doyle’s <\/a>usage Davies said: “I think he\u2019s a six by trade, he\u2019s not a 10 by nature, especially with the way that I play the 10 with a lot of jumping to press and make runs in behind.<\/p>\n “He\u2019s a footballer that gets on the ball and tries to make you play. He\u2019s a six that can play as an eight, I would say.<\/p>\n “That\u2019s where I see him more and he knows that, I\u2019ve spoken to him about that.<\/p>\n “At times I\u2019ve played him as a 10 because I didn\u2019t want to take Paik or Iwata out of there.<\/p>\n “When Iwata went out, I thought Leonard is the more natural defensive one that gives us the balance in there. I\u2019d say Tommy is a six\/eight.”<\/p>\n Speaking to BBC WM Sport<\/a> Davies went on to discuss the choice between Leonard and Doyle, with the Scot given the nod – perhaps suprisingly – for the trip to Wrexham last time out.<\/p>\n With Iwata pressed into action at right back, Davies opted for Leonard in the middle of the park but denied it was a case of the latter needing to ‘earn trust’ out of possession.<\/p>\n “I think Tommy can do that as well,” he said. “I think with Marc, I think it’s the balance of who he’s alongside as well.<\/p>\n “I think Tommy and Marc are both really good passers, Tommy’s got this real creativity to his game.<\/p>\n “Marc, being with with me for that longer period, is so embedded in all the principles of play that we want and how I want them to move in there and everything.<\/p>\n “Tommy’s an excellent player but you can see that Marc’s really up to speed with exactly how it functions for us in there, hence why he’s performed so well.<\/p>\n “Both are important players, I think with Marc it was a really good fit for that game, to be honest, and I think he seized his opportunity.<\/p>\n “But as I’ve said to Tommy there is plenty of football there for him as well, it’s just a case of keep earning it in training and in the opportunities that you do get.<\/p>\n “He is a player that does catch the eye with how he plays but within all this, what I have to do as a manager is think about the whole balance of the team.<\/p>\n “How is it going to function? What do we need to be successful in this match? I weigh all that up into it as well.<\/p>\n “But we’ve got other players that you look at and you think ‘They’re exciting players’ but it’s just always the balance.<\/p>\n “That’s what I always try and look for and I was sure that for that game against Wrexham that was going to suit us more.<\/p>\n “And like I say, Marc took his chance, but what I would say with Tommy is he’s still getting up to speed himself as well in terms of everything.<\/p>\n “So it’s certainly not a case of that I don’t trust Tommy in any way, it’s just a case of using the squad effectively.”<\/p>\n Would you like to see Doyle or Leonard start against Hull? Have your say here<\/a>Get the latest Blues headlines sent straight to your phone<\/p>\n BirminghamLive has its very own Birmingham City<\/a> WhatsApp community to deliver the latest headlines straight to your phone. Just click this link<\/a> to receive daily Blues content and breaking news. 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