Birmingham City look like they’re closing in on their next manager.
Birmingham City sacked Wayne Rooney earlier this week, and already they seem to be closing in on their next boss.
Recent reports have linked a number of managers with the St Andrew’s vacancy including Will Still, Paul Heckingbottom, and Ralph Hasenhuttl among others.
But it appears to be Tony Mowbray who’s closing in on the job.
Tony Mowbray set for 2.5 year deal to be next Birmingham City manager
An emerging report from The Times has revealed that Mowbray and Birmingham City are closing in on agreeing a two-and-a-half year deal for the ex-Sunderland boss to take charge.
The same report adds that Mowbray has had interest from elsewhere in the Championship following his Sunderland exit last month but that the 60-year-old is enticed by the project at Birmingham City.
Mowbray is formerly of the likes of Middlesbrough, West Brom, Coventry City, Blackburn Rovers, and Sunderland among others, having earned Championship promotion with the Baggies back in 2008 and League One promotion with Rovers in 2018.
Mowbray is the perfect stop-gap for Blues, but long-term vision remains to be seen
Mowbray’s experience and recent showing in the Championship speaks for itself.
He’s more than a steady pair of hands and his attacking-minded football will surely appease the Birmingham City hierarchy as they close in on their next manager.
Right now, the immediate task is getting the club up the table and out of danger which could be easier said than done.
But with Mowbray looking set to arrive early into the transfer window, he could have enough time to bring in some of his own players.
For Birmingham City, the long-term vision remains intact; eventually delivering the club to the Premier League and doing so in style.
But whether Mowbray is the man to completely deliver the club’s vision remains to be seen.
He couldn’t quite get Blackburn Rovers over the line and with Sunderland, he certainly came close, but he ultimately paid the price for some poor tactical decisions, albeit having a side blighted by injury.
So Mowbray may be a bit of a stop-gap for Birmingham City and this two-and-a-half year deal could hint at that.
But still, Mowbray is hugely experienced and if he can get Blues up the table and into the middle section come May, it’ll be a job well done.
Then next season in his first full campaign in charge, he could be tasked with a top 10 finish at the very least.