Chris Davies and elite mentality: "My dream is that we become one of the top teams in this league. I don't just want to float by and have an all right season."

The Blues manager says he doesn't want his Blues side to simply 'float by' in the Championship.

He seeks 'continuous improvement' and wants them to become a top team, one that is capable of winning games in a variety of ways.

It's the kind of never satisfied, strive for more mindset that Tom Brady would doubtless approve.

The NFL legend and Tom Wagner liked this attitude from Davies way back when he was first interviewed. It resonated.

Now, as Davies begins to see the fruits of his labours on the back of a good start to the season, it's an opportune time to reinforce the mantra.

"We can be content and that's absolutely fine, but I believe there are more levels to go.

"More levels to go in this team and how we are playing. I think we are at that point where we can push on now.

"I have been talking to the players about that. I always ask myself 'Are we working hard, are we running hard?' and I always say to them if the answer is 'yes' to those two questions, then I will always be content and forgive a lot of things. And we have. They have been giving their all.

"But we need quality as well. We need to be really able to hurt teams. If you want to be a really good team, at this level. That's what we have been working on."

"It is little bit like turning the dial," Davies continues, addressing Blues flexibility in now being able to flit from one style of play to another.

Possession-based and patient, to direct and more basic - with an upturn in set-piece prowess, physicality and know-how added from last season.

"If you are going to be a tactically flexible team - which for me is utopia by the way - I think having a clear system with absolute clarity that never changes is great, but the dream is, knowing the game and how challenging it is, if you can turn the dial and be flexible tactically and say 'Right, for this half or this game, we are going to turn the dial and be much more pragmatic and direct', 'For this game we're going to be a little bit more patient, open spaces, attract them out', that, for me, is the dream.

"Look at the very best. Arsenal, for an example. They are best team in England. They seem to have that just nailed.

"That's what I have been trying to focus on and using the international break knowing the several games we have got coming up. We are going to need more than just one way.

"My dream is that we become one of the top teams in this league. I don't just want to float by and have an all right season. That's not why I am here. That's not what we want.

"In order for that, we have got to seek continuous improvement. Look at Coventry last year. They were good at everything. They could go up to Hadji Wright, they could then play off him, then they would control it with Grimes, then would make passes and pass you to death at times, get the wingers wide. They were a complete team and I think that's why they solved all the different challenges that came their way in the Championship.

"Ipswich had a bit of it about them as well. But Coventry as that non-parachute team who maybe didn't have the best players, pound for pound, found a way to be really effective.

"That's something that I really dream about. Getting a team to that sort of level."

Coventry's title-win was a number of years in the making. Blues have had similar continuity, which has helped a more settled group of players understand what's required.

"It has been easy for us to position ourselves again or flick (between styles), because a lot of the players understand and know it," says Davies.

"It's just the key thing with this is every player has to be on the same page. Problems is when five are doing one thing and five are doing the other and the goalkeeper is not sure what's going on. Then you are in real trouble.

"So clarity is essential, tactically, and that's my job to give them that."