Birmingham let “special” star leave for £0, now he’s outperforming Iwata
Chris Davies’ Blues are presently atop the League One standings, and it appears that Birmingham City will easily be promoted back up to the Championship at the first attempt.
The statistics indicate that Birmingham should easily earn promotion with only a loss to their name after 12 games, while supporters of other third-tier teams will undoubtedly be praying that Birmingham doesn’t walk the league to make the division more exciting.
Davies in the St. Andrew’s hot seat should be commended for how quickly he’s managed to get the new-look Blues side firing on all cylinders to take the tricky league by storm, with Tomoki Iwata sticking out as one consistently impressive performer under the 39-year-old manager’s tenure.
Iwata’s form this season
Apart from the high-profile acquisition of Jay Stansfield from Fulham, Birmingham approached their summer transfer window deliberately rather than brashly trying to get promoted. Iwata’s move from Celtic was much more understated.
The acquisition of the Japanese midfielder, with whom Davies had a close working relationship when serving as Ange Postecoglou’s assistant manager at Celtic, has turned out to be a brilliant business move. The 27-year-old is already a huge fan favourite due to his unwavering work ethic in the heart of the pitch.
Along with winning over waves of Birmingham fans with his energetic performances, Iwata has scored four goals across all competitions and provided one assist, including this first-time effort that beat Bolton Wanderers custodian Luke Southwood earlier this month in a resounding 2-0 victory.
The former Celtic player has been in his manager’s starting lineups for his team’s previous eight League One games, and as more and more victories start to be seen, he feels like a vital bond for the Blues centrally.
Birmingham let “special” star leave for £0, now he’s outperforming Iwata
Chris Davies’ Blues are presently atop the League One standings, and it appears that Birmingham City will easily be promoted back up to the Championship at the first attempt.
The statistics indicate that Birmingham should easily earn promotion with only a loss to their name after 12 games, while supporters of other third-tier teams will undoubtedly be praying that Birmingham doesn’t walk the league to make the division more exciting.
Tomoki Iwata stands out as one player who has continuously performed admirably during the 39-year-old manager’s stay at St. Andrew’s. Davies should be applauded for his ability to get the new-look Blues team going on all cylinders to take the challenging league by storm.
Iwata’s form this season
Apart from the ostentatious acquisition of Jay Stansfield from Fulham, Birmingham approached their summer business gradually rather than splurging for an immediate promotion effort. Iwata’s move from Celtic was much more understated.
It was a brilliant move for Davies to sign the Japanese midfielder, with whom he had a good working relationship while Ange Postecoglou was his assistant manager at Celtic. The 27-year-old is already a huge fan favourite due to his unwavering work ethic in the heart of the pitch.
In addition to his dynamic performances that have won over waves of Birmingham fans, Iwata has scored four goals across all competitions and provided one assist, including this first-time effort that beat Bolton Wanderers custodian Luke Southwood earlier this month in a resounding 2-0 victory.
The former Celtic player has been in his manager’s starting lineups for his team’s previous eight League One games, and as more and more victories start to be anticipated in the third division, he feels like a vital glue for the Blues centrally.
With this former Blues failure rejoining the team and now outperforming Iwata at his present employment, Birmingham might be laughing even harder in the midfield positions.
The ex-Birmingham midfielder now outperforming Iwata
Daniel Crowley is the player in question; both Arsenal supporters and those with ties to the League One table toppers may recognise his name. The former Gunners young player was originally predicted to do well in North London.
In 2016, Arsene Wenger praised the 5’9″ midfielder, calling him a “special” talent while he was still with the Premier League powerhouses. Crowley would go on to score six goals in 36 games for the U21s, but he would never play for his former employers at the senior level.
After being released by Arsenal, he struggled and became something of a vagrant while playing in the Netherlands until Birmingham offered him a chance to return to the English game in 2019.
With just two goals and five assists in 45 games at St. Andrew’s, the attacking midfielder’s time away from the comforts of the Emirates would prove to be another lacklustre tenure before he left at the end of his contract in the summer of 2021.
| Crowley’s L2 numbers for Notts County (24/25) vs Iwata’s L1 numbers (24/25) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat – per 90 mins* | Crowley | Iwata |
| Games played | 12 | 8 |
| Goals scored | 3 | 3 |
| Assists | 3 | 1 |
| Big chances missed | 3 | 0 |
| Big chances created | 8 | 2 |
| Touches* | 93.3 | 70.6 |
| Accurate passes* | 68.1 (92%) | 52.6 (88%) |
| Stats by Sofascore | ||
However, Crowley has undoubtedly found his rhythm when playing for Notts County right now. The midfielder has surpassed Iwata’s league totals while playing for the Magpies this season, including six goals and six assists, and he averages an incredible 93.3 touches per League Two match.
The former Arsenal player has also added an assist in the EFL Cup, bringing his impressive goal contribution totals to seven from 13 games across all competitions. This matches the amount he managed for Birmingham in 45 largely inconsequential games, and it also surpasses Iwata’s return of five goal involvements in ten Blues games.
Crowley has been a vital member of the fourth division team for many seasons, and this delicate effort against Bradford City stands out as one of his best goals from his Magpies back library. It is obvious that Crowley and his current employers are a perfect match.
The same is true for Birmingham and Iwata, as Davies and company continue to express gratitude to their fortunate stars for pursuing the 27-year-old during the summer.
The return of this former Blues washout, who is now surpassing Iwata at his present employers, might make Birmingham laugh even harder in the midfield positions.
The ex-Birmingham midfielder now outperforming Iwata
Daniel Crowley is the player in question; both Arsenal supporters and those with ties to the League One table toppers may recognise his name. The former Gunners young player was originally predicted to do well in North London.
In 2016, Arsene Wenger praised the 5’9″ midfielder, calling him a “special” talent while he was still with the Premier League powerhouses. Crowley would go on to score six goals in 36 games for the U21s, but he would never play for his former employers at the senior level.
Following his release from Arsenal, he struggled and became something of a nomad while playing in the Netherlands until Birmingham presented him with another English opportunity in 2019.
Before leaving at the end of his contract in the summer of 2021, the attacking midfielder would have another lacklustre time away from the comforts of the Emirates, scoring just two goals and dishing out five assists in 45 games at St. Andrew’s.
| Crowley’s L2 numbers for Notts County (24/25) vs Iwata’s L1 numbers (24/25) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat – per 90 mins* | Crowley | Iwata |
| Games played | 12 | 8 |
| Goals scored | 3 | 3 |
| Assists | 3 | 1 |
| Big chances missed | 3 | 0 |
| Big chances created | 8 | 2 |
| Touches* | 93.3 | 70.6 |
| Accurate passes* | 68.1 (92%) | 52.6 (88%) |
| Stats by Sofascore | ||
In the present, however, Crowley has undoubtedly discovered his calling while playing for Notts County. The midfielder has surpassed Iwata’s league totals while playing for the Magpies, including six goals and six assists, with an incredible average of 93.3 touches per League Two match.
The former Arsenal player has also added an assist in the EFL Cup, bringing his impressive goal contribution totals to seven from 13 games across all competitions. This exceeds Iwata’s return of five goal involvements in ten games for the Blues and matches the amount he managed for Birmingham across 45 largely forgettable appearances.
Crowley has been a vital member of the fourth division team for many seasons, and this delicate effort against Bradford City stands out as one of his best goals from his Magpies back library. It is obvious that Crowley and his current employers are a perfect match.
The same is true for Birmingham and Iwata, as Davies and company continue to express gratitude to their fortunate stars for pursuing the 27-year-old during the summer.
