Jack Grealish ‘loves playing’ for manager who’s in pole position for Birmingham job amid Chris Davies sack news
Lee Carsley is the current favourite to take over at Birmingham City as Chris Davies remains under heavy pressure.
The Blues were hoping to be in the promotion mix this season after overseeing a stellar League One title-winning campaign.
However, a series of poor results have now seen Birmingham dip to 14th in the table, with the 3-0 loss to Sheffield United on the weekend being the latest defeat.
As a result, Davies has just two games to save his job at Birmingham, or he could be the next manager out the door in the Championship.
With the Blues potentially on the hunt for a new manager in the new year, Carsley is the current favourite for the job, someone who Jack Grealish loved working under.
— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) December 20, 2025
Jack Grealish previously expressed his love for playing under Lee Carsley
Carsley is the current England Under 21s manager, a role which he has been highly successful in.
Taking over in 2021, the coach has overseen two Under-21 European Championships, winning the titles in 2023 and 2025.
On top of this, Carsley also had a spell as England interim manager before Thomas Tuchel’s appointment, winning five of his six matches.
Now, with Carsley just 7/2 to take over from Davies, many Birmingham supporters may be excited to see the former Blues star return to St. Andrew’s.
However, a sour note may be what former Aston Villa captain Grealish felt about the England coach when he worked under him when he was the interim manager.
Speaking to The Standard on 13 October 2024, the current Everton winger expressed his delight with Carsley.
He said: “Listen, I don’t think it’s been difficult [for Carsley].
“Whatever happens with the England manager, some people will always say negative stuff. Before, people were crying out for all the so-called attacking players to play and we did it, it didn’t work for one game and there’s a few people moaning.
“My honest opinion, I don’t get it, it can happen in games, everyone gets beaten in international football. I love coming here, he’s a top, top manager, a brilliant guy and I love playing for him.”
What has Chris Davies said about his future at Birmingham City?
Davies is under no illusions that the recent set of results have not been good enough.
The Blues are now six points off the playoffs ahead of the home tie against Derby County on Boxing Day.
Another defeat could be catastrophic for Birmingham’s promotion hopes, with Davies under pressure to get a win.
However, when previewing the match, Davies told BBC WM on 24 December that any pressure he is under is a non-issue.
He stated: “I found out very quickly when I became a manager that the pressure wasn’t going to be a problem for me, because of the pressure I put on myself.
“No external presence could put any more pressure on me than I feel before every game and every decision, because that’s how I am as a person.”