New Birmingham City manager odds: Rowett and Rosenior keen

Article by

Matthew Christ

Last update: May 21, 2024

© PA

Birmingham City are looking for their next manager following the departure of Tony Mowbray and UK betting sites have drawn up a list of potential candidates.

On 21 May, the club announced that Mowbray had decided not to return after a period of sick leave.

The 60-year-old initially stepped down in February for six to eight weeks to focus on his health, but extended his leave even longer.

Just months into his recovery from surgery, Mowbray has made the difficult choice to resign from the club completely.

City will now begin their search for a new boss with several interesting names in the frame to try and bring the club back to the Championship after being relegated to League One at the end of last season.

So who’s in the frame? Let’s take a look at some of the contenders according to the football betting sites.

Rowett and Rosenior lead the betting

Gary Rowett stepped in to cover for Tony Mowbray after an initial spell under assistant Mark Venus and effectively auditioned for the job in the final eight games of last season, making him the 1/2 favorite with betting apps

A tally of 11 points from eight games was respectable and Rowett was not to blame for the Blues’ relegation.

Liam Rosenior (2/1) was unexpectedly sacked by Hull City after they finished seventh in the Championship, missing out on the play-offs by just three points.

He was instrumental in Jaden Philogene and Fabio Carvalho joining Hull last term and clearly has the respect of ambitious and hungry players.

The big question is whether the 39-year-old would be willing to drop down to Ligue 1 after performing so well in the Championship.

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Ian Evatt, Alex Neil and Darren Ferguson enter with a shout

Ian Evatt, 42 (5/2) has led League Two side Bolton to just one Championship game since his move from Barrow.

However, after four years with the Wanderers, now may be the time to move on and undertake a new project elsewhere.

Birmingham would be a very attractive proposition given their long-term ambition and this could also be a good time for the Blues to appoint someone with a similar vision.

Alex Neil (5/2) is another coach with experience at Championship level who understands what it takes to secure promotion to the second tier.

He successfully guided Sunderland to promotion in 2022 after taking over mid-season.

Currently, without work, there would be no need to negotiate the terms of a compensation package.

Darren Ferguson (4/1) enjoyed another successful season with Peterborough United, leading the Posh to Wembley glory in the EFL Trophy against Wycombe Wanderers.

He also missed out on promotion to the play-offs after being there, or close, for much of the campaign.

If Birmingham want a young and ambitious manager looking for a new challenge then they could do a lot worse than Fergie junior.

Lampard and Wagner provide star quality

Frank Lampard (5/1) he has been out of work for over 12 months after a difficult spell managing Everton.

His achievements before that are commendable though, leading Derby County to the Championship play-off final in 2019 and securing a top-four finish with Chelsea in his first season at Stamford Bridge.

He may not be as big a name as Lampard, but former Norwich and Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner has a wealth of experience when it comes to managing teams in the lower reaches.

Wagner (6/1) was appointed head coach of Huddersfield Town in November 2015 with the Terriers 18th in the Championship before winning promotion to the Premier League in his first full season and he certainly has the stomach for a fight.

Barry and Heckingbottom look for their next opportunity

After starting his coaching apprenticeship at Wigan, Anthony Barry quickly moved into international football as an assistant coach for Belgium and Portugal and is currently assistant manager at Bayern Munich.

Eager to make a move into the world of management in his own right, the 37-year-old is sure to be on the radar of a number of clubs this summer and is 13/2 with new betting sites to get a job in the city.

Paul Heckingbottom (7/1) was sacked by the Blades after a difficult start to the Premier League campaign which has seen United struggle for promotion to the top flight and will no doubt be looking for a way back into management after impressing in the Championship.

Veterans Hughton and Bruce Keen for the return

Chris Hughton has been out of work for three months after being sacked as manager of the Ghana national team after leading the Blues in 2009 following relegation.

He managed them during the campaign in the UEFA Europa League as he steered them to a play-off place before leaving for Norwich City three years later and is 8/1 to return.

Veteran boss Steve Bruce (14/1) is well known to Birmingham City fans having managed the club from 2001 to 2007, taking them to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years.

They were relegated in 2006 but he led them back to the top flight at the first time of asking before leaving to take charge at Wigan Athletic.

* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.

Updated by

Matthew Christ

Last update:

May 21, 2024