Billy Sharp, EFL veteran and all-time Championship top scorer, has warned Birmingham City that they still have “a long way to go” after Chris Davies’ side climbed to the top of the second division ahead of the ongoing international break.

The Blues had an outstanding run of games between the three-week break in September and October and this one, winning six of seven, three by at least three goals.

They only missed points at Cardiff City, a team who has yet to lose at home this season, and have kept their own unbeaten home record intact, winning all four games to add some shine to St Andrew’s record, which was quite draw-heavy in the early stages of the season.

The win over previous table-toppers Swansea City propelled them over Middlesbrough on goal difference, and they will maintain that lead for at least another week until activity resumes ahead of the Christmas break.

The question in the interim is whether they can stay there.

Billy Sharp warns Birmingham City after reaching Championship peak.

Billy Sharp has been a regular analyst on EFL shows this season, having announced his retirement from professional football in October. The 40-year-old has been promoted out of the Championship three times during his career, so he understands what it takes to stay in the top two.

The all-time Championship top scorer waxed lyrical about Birmingham over the first 15 games of the season, and was shocked that their ascension to the top of the table had not received as much attention as it surely should have.

“I think you saw glimpses last season, but they obviously didn’t have that consistency,” he said on the Essential EFL Podcast. “They’ve done it really quietly, actually; no one’s really spoken about them.””He’s got the two settled center-halves, which I’ve liked since last season, and I believe he’s playing a 4-2-3-1, which really suits him at the moment.”He appears to have a settled side and had a little sprinkling with Millar coming in, bringing some magic down the left, and Stansfield scoring two goals, which should do him a world of good. We know he’s talented, and when he’s on, he can win games for Birmingham.”

The Blues have had a great start to the season, but we are only 15 games in. With two-thirds of the year remaining and only one point separating Chris Davies’ team from West Brom in fifth place, Sharp believes they cannot afford to be complacent.Am I shocked they’re on top? “I am,” he admits. “But we were saying this about Swansea on the last international break.”It’s still tight at the top; fair respect to Birmingham; they’re top heading into the international break, but there’s still a long way to go.”

Birmingham City are there to be shot at now, having reached the top spot in the Championship.

As Sharp said, Birmingham’s current run of six wins in seven to reach the top of the Championship has gone somewhat unnoticed, with the primary second-tier narratives centred on West Ham United’s decline or Middlesbrough’s struggles without Will Lankshear, for example.

Now, however, this Blues team is at the forefront of the discourse, and will remain so until league activity returns following the international break. Chris Davies’ team is ready to be shot at, and all eyes will be on whether they can withstand the weight of expectation.

It’s arguable that they didn’t last season, with many expecting them to follow in the footsteps of Ipswich Town and make it back-to-back promotions after their record-breaking 111-point season in League One the year before.

However, this year’s roster is much more stable. Partnerships that were forming last year are now established, and there hasn’t been as much squad turnover as there was last summer at St Andrew’s.

Furthermore, Chris Davies’ choice to abandon a methodical, heavy possession-based game has paid off, with the Blues packing a real punch in an offensive sense thanks to their determination to get the ball forward faster.

They appear to be much more prepared to preserve results and withstand pressure as they become the team that opponents want to knock off the pedestal.

Birmingham City will want to prevent a Swansea City repetition following the international break.

Sharp also mentioned that this identical talk was taking place regarding Swansea’s chances of promotion, with Vitor Matos’ team leading the Championship at the last international break.

While the Swans returned to action with back-to-back victories, they followed that with four defeats in five games leading up to the break, including the loss at St Andrew’s the previous time out.

They’re still in contention, three points behind Birmingham, but the difference in performances when the pressure was on versus when it wasn’t was palpable, and the Blues must avoid the same fate.

When play resumes, Chris Davies’ side faces a challenging battle against Stoke City, followed by four games against teams ranked 18th to 22nd. A win at the bet365 Stadium would set them up for a run of easier fixtures on paper.

Perhaps by mid-December, this side will have some breathing room from the chasing pack, and people will take their present title charge much more seriously.