Birmingham fans all say the same about James Beadle after loss vs Leeds United
Birmingham fans were full of praise for goalkeeper Ryan Allsop despite their penalty shootout defeat to Leeds United in the FA Cup on Sunday.
The 33-year-old made some crucial interventions to keep his side in the game at St. Andrew’s against their Premier League opposition, as the teams played out an entertaining 1-1 draw, before Leeds eventually won on penalties.
However, Allsop made some important interventions, even if he could do little to prevent Lukas Nmecha from blasting a shot past him in the 49th minute.
Patrick Roberts’ 89th-minute equaliser sent the game into extra time, but Chris Davies’ side were ultimately beaten from the spot, and saw their cup campaign ended by Leeds.
Birmingham fans desperate to see Ryan Allsop replace James Beadle
Allsop has had to wait patiently to receive opportunities to impress so far this season, as he has largely served as the understudy to Brighton loanee James Beadle.
The veteran gloveman has made just 11 appearances since the start of the season, and the clash against Leeds marked just his third start since the end of September.
Beadle has firmly established himself as Davies’ preferred option between the posts, but his displays have come under scrutiny from some sections of the fanbase of late.
Allsop’s showing in Sunday’s cup tie has seemingly been enough to convince some Birmingham supporters, who have taken to X to share their desire to see him replace Beadle in league action.
Several fans pointed towards Allsop’s distribution as the main reason for him to come into the team on a regular basis, with one fan even suggesting that he is “far too good to be wasted on the bench.”
One fan even went as far as to say that they “never want to see Beadle in goal again.”
- @MN456782: “Don’t want to see Beadle in goals again.”
- @Jamie23Shirley: “Why are we playing Beadle every week when Allsop distribution is that good?!”
- @beaublue07: “Allsop has to be reinstated as No 1 Alex. His ball play & kicking is superb compared to Beadle who is awful.”
How does James Beadle compare to other Championship goalkeepers?
Beadle is becoming increasingly experienced in the Championship, with this his second loan spell in the second tier, after he spent the season with Sheffield Wednesday last term.
Fans of the Owls had plenty of frustrations with the youngster’s performances, and many of those concerns have been passed over to the St. Andrew’s faithful.
| Stats | Beadle Total | Championship Rank |
| Clean Sheets | 6 | =13th |
| Save Percentage | 70.2% | 8th |
| Saves per 90 | 2.7 | =12th |
| Goals Prevented | -3.4 | 18th |
| Goals Conceded per 90 | 1.1 | =15th |
The 21-year-old has played his part with three clean sheets already in 2026, but that has done little to shelter him from the criticisms of those who feel that he is too error-prone.
The stats arguably back up that belief, as Beadle ranks in the middle reaches of all Championship ‘keepers for the most important statistics.
He is far from one of the worst glovemen in the division, but Birmingham fans understandably have high demands, given the newfound ambition that has come in recent years.