REPORT: BIRMINGHAM HIERARCHY HAVE CHANGED THEIR MIND ABOUT ROWETTS FUTURE

Birmingham City's hierarchy have changed their mind about Gary Rowett’s future as manager, according to a significant new update ahead of the conclusion of the season on Saturday.

Rowett aiming to keep Birmingham up

The Midlands outfit have experienced a hugely disappointing season in the Championship, so much so that they are now strong favourites to be relegated to League One on Saturday afternoon.

Birmingham are one point adrift of Plymouth Argyle, sitting in 22nd place and in the relegation zone, knowing they must win at home to Norwich City, especially as their goal difference is inferior to the Pilgrims. Victory would give them a chance of survival, with Plymouth hosting playoff-chasing Hull City at the same time, which won't be easy for them.

The season started in controversial fashion for the Blues, with John Eustace's sacking in October largely seen as hugely unfair, prior to Wayne Rooney's doomed spell in charge taking place.

Tony Mowbray then came in, but his season has been cut short for health reasons, and since then, Rowett has returned to St Andrew's as interim manager, doing his best to keep Birmingham in the Championship. In his seven matches, he has only averaged 1.14 points per game, however - his first spell was 1.49 points per match - struggling to inspire his team away from danger.

Key Gary Rowett update emerges

According to a new twist from Football Insider, Rowett is unlikely to stay on as Birmingham manager beyond this season, departing from his interim role despite initial hopes from the board that it would be extended.

The report states that "there had been an expectation from the hierarchy that Rowett could make a strong case to land the job permanently, but that is not expected to now happen", suggesting he hasn't done enough to warrant staying on and that the club have changed their mind.

In truth, it probably makes sense to bring an end to Rowett's second spell at Birmingham this summer, considering he hasn't exactly excelled since returning to the club. Granted, he came in during a tough time, especially regarding Mowbray's situation, but a new manager needs to be looked at before the start of next season.

There could be some supporters who will feel that the Englishman deserves to stay on if he keeps the Blues in the Championship on Saturday, but the club need to be looking at the bigger picture rather than making a knee-jerk decision.

Moving forward, this simply has to become a more settled period at St Andrew's, with so many managerial changes showing a lack of stability, especially when Eustace was so harshly disposed of, despite Birmingham sitting sixth in the Championship table at that point, which seems unfathomable now, given their current standing.

Who that man is remains to be seen, but if the Blues do end up in League One next season, they need the right person in place to ensure that they bounce back at the first attempt.

2024-05-04T04:49:11Z dg43tfdfdgfd