Blues boss Davies warns against home complacency

Birmingham City boss Chris Davies his warned his players they must not expect anything to be handed to them as they bid to solve their winless home run against Preston North End on Tuesday.

Blues have drawn all four of their Championship games at St Andrew's - three of them 2-2 - in a testing home start to the campaign, in which they have hosted Bristol City, Southampton, Wolves and Middlesbrough.

Now they take on bottom club Preston, under new management in former North End favourite Graham Alexander, whose side lost 1-0 at Deepdale against Millwall on Saturday in his first game in charge.

But, with a view also to Saturday's visit of Queens Park Rangers, Davies is determined to keep his side's feet on the floor despite the boost of their third away win of the season at The Hawthorns against local rivals West Bromwich Albion at the weekend.

"The expectation can go up," he told BBC Radio WM. "And I've said to the players that just because we now have two home games against Preston and QPR doesn't mean anything.

"We've got to earn it if we're going to get something. We're really pleased with how we've been playing away. This is just the next game. And we've got to keep building."

Having used players including Demarai Gray, Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Max Bird off the bench at the weekend, he also says his squad's extra strength can now come in very handy against a North End side managed by Alexander - one of the most highly respected football bosses outside the Premier League.

"We're coming together at the right time," Davies said. "In a three-game week, you always need options - and that when they do come on, they can make an impact.

"We need a core group of players and some of them are coming back to fitness just at the right time.

"Keeping them engaged and hungry and feeling part of it when they're not starting is always a challenge for any manager."