Birmingham City star made to eat his words as unbeaten run ends: 'It's very naive'

Charlton Athletic ended Birmingham City's unbeaten tally successful League One - and Nathan Jones insisted Krystian Bielik’s comments that they are "too good" for the part was cleanable motivation

Charlton manager Nathan Jones says that Krystian Bielik’s comments that Birmingham are “too good” for Sky Bet League One acted arsenic other information arsenic they inflicted a archetypal decision connected the leaders astatine The Valley.

The Blues came into the contention connected a seven-match winning streak successful League One but they could person perfectly nary complaints astir the result – with their south-east London opponents wholly nullifying their vaunted attack. Daniel Kanu failed to instrumentality a mates of large chances successful the archetypal half, including Birmingham keeper Ryan Allsop passing consecutive to the striker wrong the punishment area.

Charlton made the breakthrough successful the 54th infinitesimal erstwhile Matty Godden twisted to crook location Josh Edward’s agelong throw.

Asked astir Bielik’s statement, Jones said: “It gave america an other spot of motivation. I would thin to astir apt hold with him – but it’s precise naive to travel retired and accidental that erstwhile you’re coming into a large game. If I believed I was 1 of the best-looking guys successful south-east London, I’m not definite I would accidental that going into a quality contest.

“It was an outstanding performance. Professional, assertive and front-footed. I had a effect erstwhile I was astatine Southampton, against Man City, wherever it was the archetypal clip they didn’t person a changeable connected people successful 7 years. It ranks alongside that benignant of performance.

“We showed contiguous erstwhile we’re astatine it that we’re a bully side. We brought him (Godden) successful – and spent a batch of wealth connected him – and helium is quality. That is what helium brings. We mislaid Alfie May, truthful we had to regenerate those goals. We judge we person done that with Matty Godden.”

Birmingham did not person a changeable connected people arsenic their longest winning tally since 1946 was ended. Blues brag Chris Davies said: “We weren’t astatine our mean level. We lacked a small spot of our mean energy, zip and fluency throughout.

“The 3 games successful the 8 days caught up with america a small spot and we suffered a small bit. Charlton besides had that, truthful it’s not an excuse. We had an constituent of power with possession but could ne'er construe that into meaningful chances oregon unsafe situations. In the extremity you permission yourself unfastened to a sucker punch set-piece oregon a infinitesimal – that is what happened.

“It was a brushed goal. You can’t fto that shot bounce oregon the absorption to swivel and volley it in. They are moments that hap if you don’t onslaught good capable oregon bash capable with the ball.

“In the archetypal fractional we were playing backwards excessively much. They were man-to-man pressing us. Their occupation was to effort and halt us, alternatively than bash excessively overmuch with the shot themselves. They did a bully occupation of trying to halt america playing.

“When we broke done that property and spell to their backline, we didn’t person our mean combinations oregon accelerations we person successful the last 3rd to look similar we were going to make a chance.

“It is achy to suffer but you turn from decision – that’s what we’ve got to do.”

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