Birmingham City are moving quickly to appoint their next permanent manager, less than a week after Wayne Rooney was relieved of his duties amid a nightmare run of results
Tony Mowbray will be confirmed as Birmingham City’s new manager later today.
The 60-year-old Teessider steps into the position vacated by Wayne Rooney with the finer points of a two-and-a-half year deal due to be finalised. Mowbray takes the reins at St Andrew’s just five weeks after his surprise depature from Sunderland with the brief to preserve his new club’s status in the second tier.
Rooney’s reign in charge yielded just two victories in 15 attempts – seeing Brum drop from sixth in the table when John Eustace was relieved of his position – to 20th. The club now lies just six points ahead of the dropzone and with Sheffield Wednesday – occupying the last relegation place in the table – now making strides to drive themselves out of trouble – the decision-makers at St Andrew’s decided to bring down the axe on the former Manchester United and England great following a limp 3-0 defeat at Leeds.
Mowbray brings a wealth of experience to the job – with the majority of it at Championship level. He most recently spent time on Wearside and five seasons before that at Blackburn Rovers, pushing them to within touching distance of the play-offs, has persuaded new owners Knighthead to invest in him.
The American investment house has a clear objective – to play progressive football – and Mowbray will not need to buy into that philosophy as it has been a trademark of his ever since he entered management at Hibs. Birmingham do have current issues with the profit and sustainability levels – problems that could cause only minimal outlay during the January transfer window.
But with an offer on the table from Atalanta for midfielder Jordan James, there is a dilemma as to whether to cash in on the 19-year-old during the next four weeks to bolster their own options. Mowbray’s arrival will be confirmed later today and he is expected at the club’s base in Henley-in-Arden to take training from tomorrow onwards.
Have Birmingham made the right move? Have your say in the comments section
Rooney previously put out a statement of his own after being dismissed by the Championship side. “I would like to thank Tom Wagner, Tom Brady and Garry Cook for the opportunity to manage Birmingham City FC and the support they all gave me during my short period with the club,” he said.
“Football is a results business – and I recognise they have not been at the level I wanted them to be. However, time is the most precious commodity a manager requires and I do not believe 13 weeks was sufficient to oversee the changes that were needed.
“Personally, it will take me some time to get over this setback. I have been involved in professional football, as either a player or manager, since I was 16. Now, I plan to take some time with my family as I prepare for the next opportunity in my journey as a manager. “Finally, I wish Birmingham City FC and its owners my best wishes in the pursuit of their ambitions.”
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
