Chris Davies sat his Birmingham City squad down for a frank team meeting after Tuesday's 6-1 Carabao Cup defeat at St Andrew's, and the manager wasted little time drawing a line under it. With a Championship fixture against Wrexham arriving on Friday, he told his players that resilience would determine how the season unfolds, not one dreadful evening.

"You lick your wounds. We sat down and had a meeting about it," Davies told BBC WM Sport. "A lot of that we have to keep private and confidential, but we have been through that process. We have to pick ourselves up now very quickly. Resilience is the number one thing in football, you need it."

The defeat itself came against top-flight opposition in a cup competition, and Davies was careful not to let it cast a shadow over what Birmingham have built in the Championship. He has overseen a significant rise at the club since taking charge in 2024, and his side carry genuine ambitions in the second tier this season.

"It isn't going to derail anything," he said. "We have built something strong here over the past few years and it will take more than one heavy defeat to really dent that."

Wagner contact maintained

Away from the result, Davies confirmed he remains in regular contact with the club's ownership structure, including chairman Tom Wagner, who has been absent since suffering a stroke in February. The manager spoke to Wagner on Wednesday, the day after the cup loss.

"I speak to the board regularly," Davies said. "I spoke to Tom Wagner on Wednesday. Jeremy Dale is the CEO and I speak to Jeremy. There is a shared disappointment, but equally we know we have a great opportunity on Friday night."

The confirmation that communication with Wagner continues will reassure supporters who have followed the chairman's recovery with concern. The Knighthead ownership group has driven the club's rebuild, and Davies' direct line to its figurehead signals that the project remains on track behind the scenes.

Friday the focus

Davies made clear that Friday's Championship fixture has become the only thing that matters inside the training ground. A win would not merely lift spirits; it would shift the narrative entirely from a cup hiding to a league campaign still full of possibility.

"The good news is we have the chance to bounce back against Wrexham and we have put that game to bed now and move on," he said.

He also acknowledged the unforgiving mathematics of football management. "I've always felt pressure. We are a bad week away from being under huge pressure here because you just have to win in football. It is the nature of the beast."

That honesty carries weight. Davies did not reach for excuses about the cup opposition's quality or the scoreline flattering them. Instead he turned the pressure into motivation, pointing at a second-tier fixture where Birmingham can reset the tone and remind the division of what they are capable of.

"You are only as good as your last game, and our last game was a poor one, but if you turn that around with a couple of good wins and performances, it can feel very different," he said.

Birmingham sit in a Championship landscape where momentum shifts quickly. The manner in which they respond on Friday will say far more about their promotion credentials than the scoreline that preceded it.

Frequently asked

Why did Birmingham City have a team meeting this week?
Manager Chris Davies called the meeting to address the squad's 6-1 Carabao Cup defeat and refocus attention on their Championship campaign ahead of Friday's match against Wrexham.
Is Tom Wagner still involved with Birmingham City?
According to Davies, yes. The manager said he spoke to Knighthead chairman Tom Wagner on Wednesday, despite Wagner having been absent since suffering a stroke in February.
When do Birmingham City play next in the Championship?
Birmingham face Wrexham on Friday, which Davies has identified as the immediate opportunity for his side to bounce back from the cup loss.