Match ends, Birmingham City 1, Stoke City 3.
Stoke City won for the first time under new boss Steven Schumacher as the rampant Potters comfortably beat Birmingham City.
Schumacher won the battle of managerial wits with his former Everton academy contemporary Wayne Rooney to make it four points out of a possible six from his first two games in charge.
After starting with a disappointing 0-0 home draw against Millwall in his first game, Stoke struck twice in the first 31 minutes.
Jordan Thompson hit his first goal since Christmas 2020 before a second from Lynden Gooch put the visitors in command.
Andre Vidigal then added a third on 53 minutes - his first goal in three months - only for Birmingham top scorer Jay Stansfield to get one back on 69 minutes.
But Stoke closed the door again to leave Blues boss Rooney with a record of just two wins from his first 13 games in charge.
With his team booed off, and in the Championship's bottom six, Rooney is now urgently awaiting the transfer window to open in six days' time.
The defeat maintained Birmingham's poor Boxing Day record, being the seventh time in eight games they have failed to win, while Stoke have lost just one of their past eight Boxing Day league games - a 2-0 loss at St Andrew's under Gary Rowett in 2018.
Although Blues have so far only fleetingly shown what they might be capable of under Rooney, they did at least go into this fixture with a psychological edge.
The hosts had lost just two of their past 18 league matches against Stoke, who had not won at St Andrew's in 14 league matches since a 1-0 win under Mick Mills in October 1988.
The Potters had scored just one goal in their past nine visits to St Andrew's. But just after the half-hour mark, they had two.
After a break down the left, Gooch had an effort from the edge of the penalty area cleared off the line by Marc Roberts, but his clearance went only as far as Thompson, whose follow-up effort deflected in off Juninho Bacuna.
Stoke then doubled their lead when, less than 60 seconds after Vidigal had blasted over, they attacked again and Gooch got clear on the left side of the box to slide a low finish under keeper John Ruddy.
Vidigal seemed to have secured Schumacher's first win when he bagged goal number three, only for Stansfield's seventh goal of the season to give the home fans some hope.
But Blues never came close to adding any further goals - and many home fans were leaving long before the end.
Who's next?
Birmingham are at home again on Friday (19:45 GMT) against improving Bristol City.
Stoke, who leapfrogged above Blues into 18th, are away again on Friday night, at Watford (19:45).
Birmingham City boss Wayne Rooney told BBC Radio WM:
"It's hard to put into words. I didn't see that performance coming. I didn't recognise the team out there on the pitch.
"That's frustrating as, over the last few games we'd made some real strides - and this was difficult to take.
"We just weren't doing the right things, the basics. It wasn't lack of effort. That would be unfair to say. It was lack of game knowledge.
"Ideally, you wish you could have 11 subs - as I could have changed all 11 players at half-time."
Stoke City boss Steven Schumacher told BBC Radio Stoke:
"To come away from home and score three goals at such a tough place to come is really pleasing. If it had been a clean sheet, it would have been perfect.
"We looked threatening and dangerous and could have scored more. It's a good win against a team who I think are a good team.
"We played the same system we did against Millwall, but we had a bit more energy this time to play the attacking football we want.
"Birmingham play differently to Millwall, so there was a little more space for us to try and be positive."
Line-ups
Birmingham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 21Ruddy
- 44Aiwu
- 4RobertsSubstituted forRobertsat 57'minutes
- 5Sanderson
- 23Longelo
- 7BacunaBooked at 33mins
- 34SunjicSubstituted forGardnerat 78'minutes
- 11MiyoshiBooked at 12minsSubstituted forDonovanat 67'minutes
- 19James
- 17DembéléSubstituted forAndersonat 77'minutes
- 28StansfieldSubstituted forBurkeat 77'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Etheridge
- 8Roberts
- 10Jutkiewicz
- 14Anderson
- 20Gardner
- 24Oakley
- 45Burke
- 47Home
- 49Donovan
Stoke
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 13Bonham
- 24TchamadeuBooked at 51mins
- 23McNally
- 5Rose
- 17Hoever
- 15Thompson
- 6BurgerSubstituted forPearsonat 70'minutes
- 7Cunha VidigalBooked at 34minsSubstituted forJohnsonat 86'minutes
- 22BaeBooked at 83mins
- 2GoochSubstituted forHaksabanovicat 57'minutes
- 19MmaeeSubstituted forGayleat 70'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Pearson
- 8Baker
- 11Gayle
- 12Johnson
- 18Wesley
- 20Haksabanovic
- 26Clark
- 35Lowe
- 45Simkin
- Referee:
- Robert Madley
- Attendance:
- 21,640
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home51%
- Away49%
- Shots
- Home14
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away5
- Corners
- Home5
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Birmingham City 1, Stoke City 3.
Post update
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Post update
Delay in match because of an injury Dwight Gayle (Stoke City).
Post update
Attempt missed. Keshi Anderson (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Post update
Attempt saved. Oliver Burke (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Gary Gardner.
Post update
Emmanuel Longelo (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Bae Jun-Ho (Stoke City).
Post update
Offside, Birmingham City. Keshi Anderson is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Stoke City. Daniel Johnson replaces André Vidigal.
Booking
Bae Jun-Ho (Stoke City) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Jordan James (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Dwight Gayle (Stoke City).
Post update
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Post update
Delay in match because of an injury André Vidigal (Stoke City).
Post update
Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by John Ruddy.
Post update
Corner, Stoke City. Conceded by Emanuel Aiwu.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Sead Haksabanovic (Stoke City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Bae Jun-Ho.
Substitution
Substitution, Birmingham City. Gary Gardner replaces Ivan Sunjic.
Substitution
Substitution, Birmingham City. Oliver Burke replaces Jay Stansfield.
Comments
Join the conversation
Transfer window?
This team were top 6 before he inherited them.
No transfer window will hide the fact that Rooney’s a terrible manager.
What a surprise. The owners of Birmingham City FC are saying “We are behind Wayne Ruiney “ and the fans are saying “Oh no we’re not”. The baddies were deservedly booed off at full time, I just love Christmas