Former Premier League owner makes prediction for Birmingham manager

Former Premier League owner Simon Jordan believes there will be plenty of interested parties in the Birmingham City manager’s vacancy.

The Blues have endured a season of turmoil in which no fewer than four different managers have occupied the hot seat. It all started with John Eustace, who led the West Midlands club to their best start to a campaign in years. However, despite a 3-1 win over rivals West Bromwich Albion that lifted them into the play-off places in October, he was dropped in favor of Wayne Rooney.

To put it bluntly, the former England international has been an absolute failure. He had just two wins in 15 games before being sidelined.

Sitting just above the relegation zone, former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray was brought in to steady the ship. He did just that, winning three and losing just two of six league games in charge before being forced to take medical leave. Gary Rowett eventually joined the club but oversaw their relegation to the third tier for the first time in 29 years.

Birmingham confirmed this afternoon that Mowbray had informed them he had decided to resign. As a result, the club will now be looking for a new manager to guide them into League One next season.

We can confirm that Tony Mowbray has informed the club of his decision to step down as men’s first team manager with immediate effect.

— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) May 21, 2024

Reports emerged last week that former Hull City boss Liam Rosenior was being groomed by club directors. However, it will be a battle for his signature, with Sunderland said to be among his many admirers. Meanwhile, Steve Bruce is believed to be interested in a return to St Andrew’s.

Conformable talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan, there will be plenty of interest in the position despite the recent relegation. Via Birmingham Liveformer Crystal Palace owner said:

“It doesn’t matter what you do off the field. You can live in this world of things off the pitch for a while, but if you relegate your club from the Championship to League One then you are responsible for it.

“All these guys did was miss a year. But make no mistake, owning a club in your first season is not easy. We did something similar and got out of relegation on the last day of the season. But we didn’t put out a manager who was sixth in the league.

“I’m tired of hearing this argument about the style of football. Keep the style of football, get out of League 1.

“There will be plenty of applicants for the Birmingham job. There will be a lot of people who will see it as an opportunity. It’s a great football club that should have done a lot more in its lifetime.”

In addition to Rosenior, Alex Neil, Ian Evatt, Darren Ferguson and Michael Skubala are all considered to be among the first few.

The writer’s vision

Birmingham is indeed a big club and will continue to be an attractive option for some looking for new jobs. Despite playing in League One next season, the opportunity to guide them back to the Championship at the first time of asking would be great on anyone’s CV, although it certainly comes with a degree of risk attached.

Liam Rosenior is said not to be interested in the post. This is understandable as his stock remains high and he is expected to be at the top of a number of Championship clubs. Someone like Ian Evatt could be a decent shout after his recent play-off failure with Bolton Wanderers.

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