' Change in system pays off '
The four at the back that had previously been a constant of Lamouchi's short time at the helm clearly had its issues, so it was perhaps inevitable the Frenchman might look at a change at some point.
At St Andrew's, he opted for a back three, which ultimately left Cardiff's defence feeling far more balanced on the night. Perry Ng flourished in what now feels his favoured position on the right side of a back three, while Mark McGuinness and Cedric Kipre both produced similarly solid performances.
All three were terrific, but the change in shape also helped others to flourish.
Mahlon Romeo and Callum O'Dowda were given more licence to get forward out wide, providing greater support to the two up top of Kion Etete and Sory Kaba, while also remaining resolute in defence against a strong and physical Birmingham front line.
As Ng himself pointed out, Lamouchi has also seemingly made a concerted effort to get Cardiff playing a more direct brand of football - one that focuses on getting the ball in advanced areas as quickly as possible.
It's not always pretty. Indeed, the first half was a particularly tough watch, but it did seemingly give Cardiff a greater control of the game, and it certainly paid off on this occasion.
"We've cut playing short a bit and playing in the opposition half a lot more, putting teams under pressure," Ng said.
"I think it worked today."
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