Two new front-runners for the Birmingham City manager job have been named.
Birmingham City are still in the wake of their sacking of Wayne Rooney, but already it seems like their managerial search is heating up.
A number of names have been linked so far; it’s been suggested that 31-year-old Reims boss Will Still is in the running along with Paul Heckingbottom, whilst names like Steve Cooper and Ralph Hasenhuttl have also been mentioned.
But there’s two new names now being touted as frontrunners; former boss Garry Rowett and Tony Mowbray.
Gary Rowett and Tony Mowbray frontrunners to become next Birmingham City manager
An emerging report from Mirror says that Rowett and Mowbray are ‘early frontrunners’ to replace Rooney at St Andrew’s.
The same report adds that both managers, who were let go by Millwall and Sunderland respectively this season, are high on Birmingham City’s managerial shortlist and that Mowbray has already ‘been spoken to’ by the Blues hierarchy.
Rowett, 49, was Birmingham City manager between 2014 and 2016, eventually sacked by the club and replaced by Gianfranco Zola; Blues were in 6th at the time of his sacking, very similar to the situation with John Eustace and Rooney this season.
His last stint in the dugout was with Millwall where he lasted four years, winning 76 of 196 total games in charge (38.8%).
Mowbray, 60, is formerly of West Brom and Coventry City and has just enjoyed a successful stint with Sunderland.
He guided the club to a 6th place finish in the Championship last season and had the Black Cats in 9th before his sacking last month.
Blues eyeing up experience after Rooney fiasco
It seems like the next Birmingham City manager will be someone with a bit more experience than Rooney.
Rooney had very little Championship experience and very little experience as a manager in general, but the likes of Rowett and Mowbray are vastly experienced in the dugout.
Both managers are very much proven in the Championship and both have recent experience of the second tier, which Rooney didn’t really have after one stint with Derby County between 2020 and 2022.
So it seems like we’re getting an early feel for what kind of manager Blues want next and it seems like they’re moving fast with Mowbray having already held talks.
He may be a more favoured appointment among fans than Rowett; Rowett’s style of play was widely criticised at Millwall whereas Mowbray’s Sunderland played exciting and attacking football, which may be preferable to the Blues board who will surely want that ‘no fear’ football philosophy to continue despite Rooney’s sacking.