Boss Paul Lambert said the way his side are playing was the most pleasing aspect of the Blues’ 2-0 victory over Wigan Athletic on the opening day of their League One campaign. Goals from Teddy Bishop and Gwion Edwards saw Town to the three points.
"I think any win is [pleasing from the first game of the season], but I think the way we’re playing is the most pleasing aspect,” he said. "I think we played some really good football and I’m really happy.
"We might have been three up at half-time. If we’d scored that goal where Freddie had a shot saved, it would have been one of the best team goals we’d scored. But the move was great. The football we’re playing at the minute is really, really good."
Lambert said before the match that the Latics would be tough opposition which may have surprised some fans, given the exodus which has taken place at the in-administration club over the summer.
"I don’t know why, you look at their team and they’ve got some really good players there,” he said. "Joe Garner is a real handful, Lee Evans, who I had at Wolves, is a top player, Gary Roberts has been a top player, they’re decent side.
"I knew it was a dangerous game, I knew it was before it, I always knew it was going to be and it proved to be.”
How important was it to get three points on the board immediately? "If you asked me that last season, the same. We’ve 45 league games to go, it’s a good start, but the football we’re playing at the minute is really, really good. The understanding, the link-up play, the rotation, the movement was really, really good, I’m happy.”
Despite losing Luke Woolfenden to a knock and with Corrie Ndaba also out with a thigh injury, Lambert was pleased to see his backline claim a clean sheet.
"James Wilson got told the other day he would play when Woolfy went out, and like I’ve said, ‘Take your chance’,” he said.
"I thought Wilson was excellent, thought he and Toto Nsiala were first class because they were up against a really dangerous centre forward. Credit to those two.
"I thought Jon Nolan was exceptional, I’m delighted for Bish with getting the goal. Andre Dozzell was getting better and he got man-marked, which is a new thing for him.
"He has to learn how to lose people, which will happen. But it’s a compliment to him that people want to man-mark him. My job is to try and help him shake those types of marker.”
Regarding Woolfenden and Jack Lankester, who also missed out due to injury, he said: "Jack had a bit of concussion on Friday, it was an accident in training and he was concussed a little bit but he’ll be OK, it’s not his back or anything like that, that’s football, that’s what happens. Woolf just tweaked his groin a little bit again, so we couldn’t take the chance.”
Lambert also confirmed that Aaron Drinan was subbed due to a minor injury: "It wasn’t tactical that’s for sure as he was brilliant. He got a little knock or a strain on his thigh. We made the decision to take the lad off, he wanted to continue but I just thought there are too many games. It was never tactical because he was excellent.”
James Norwood came on, knowing he has a battle to win a place in the starting XI: "I think he knows he has a fight on his hands. As soon as you become complacent as a footballer, you lose your edge, so Drinan and Hawkins coming in and with Kayden, although he’s still injured at the minute, there’s a fight there and you have to want to be involved in that fight to stay in the team.
"There are some guys don’t like competition and can’t handle it, but I’m pretty sure he’ll want to have a fight at it.”
Lambert says Norwood will be better for the half: "I’m pretty sure, I don’t think he’s match fit to the level I look for but he came on and did well, he gave it a right, good go. I think he’s still behind, as is Oli Hawkins. That will be a good 45 minutes for him.”
With the season only nine days old already five players have got on the scoresheet, Freddie Sears with two against Bristol Robers in the Carabao Cup, Luke Chambers with the other in that game, Nolan against Arsenal’s U21s and Bishop and Edwards today.
"Really happy with Bish’s goal,” Lambert continued. "A really good footballer, a good move. He was unlucky not to get a second with the one that hit the post and Gwion came on and gave us something as well.
"Emyr came on and gave us something. I was really pleased with the team, really pleased how they played.”
Regarding Edwards, he added: "He did great, I think the team that has been starting games has done really well but we need everybody, we can’t just have 11 guys, we need every guy when they’re asked to play to perform. He came on and got his goal. I think he’s been doing really well in training as well, Gwion, which is really important. Really happy.”
Lambert says he wants to see more goals from Bishop and given the way he plays they ought to be forthcoming: "I think his game dictates that he’s midfielder that can go forward. If Bish can add goals to his game then we’ve got a player.
"I thought Jon Nolan was exceptionally, I really did, I thought he was really, really good.”
Looking ahead to Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie at home to Fulham, Lambert was asked whether he’d be able to field the same side again.
"Six months off is huge, so we’ll look and see how they are and how they feel,” he reflected. "It’s a great game, it’s a brilliant game, it’s a really good game against a Premier League team. A really tough game but we’ve earned the right to play them, so we’ll go and try and win.
"We two goes at it against Tottenham and West Ham albeit in pre-season and this is a real game. Scott Parker has done great at Fulham. It’s a tough, tough game. I know they lost yesterday [3-0 at home to Arsenal], I watched the game, but they were up against an incredible side. It’s a game where we’ve got nothing to lose.”
Lambert wasn’t sure whether any of his injured players will be able to return on Wednesday: "I don’t know, I’ll wait and see tomorrow and Tuesday, then we’ll decide."