Birmingham City must not make this error that Sunderland did with Tony Mowbray

admin | January 11, 2024 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Following the appointment of Tony Mowbray as manager, Birmingham City has entered a new era.

Mowbray was named Blues manager on Monday, signing a two-and-a-half year contract at St Andrew’s.

The 60-year-old had been out of job since being fired by Sunderland last month, but he has made a quick return to manager to replace Wayne Rooney, who was fired last week after a catastrophic three-month reign.

Birmingham replaced John Eustace with Rooney in October, despite being sixth in the standings at the time, and Rooney won only two of his 15 games in charge, leaving the team in 20th place, just six points above the relegation zone.

Blues owner Tom Wagner called Mowbray a “standout candidate” for the position, and chief executive Garry Cook believes he is the ideal fit for the team.

“Tony is a well-known figure in the game with a wealth of Championship experience.” He understands what it takes to succeed at this level. “Tony has rightfully earned a reputation as a manager who delivers results, enjoys playing attractive football, and believes in giving young players a chance,” Cook said in a statement on the club’s official website.

“He is the right leader at the right time for our club and I know that our supporters will be right behind him and the team.”

Mowbray will take command of Birmingham City for the first time on Saturday, and while his immediate focus will be on keeping his side out of the relegation zone, he will likely be looking to bolster his squad in the January transfer window.

However, transfer issues were regarded to be a major factor for Mowbray’s departure from Sunderland, and the Blues must avoid making the same mistakes as the Black Cats.

Birmingham City must learn Tony Mowbray lesson from Sunderland

Sunderland have generally focused on bringing in younger players in recent years, but Mowbray has regularly raised reservations about the club’s transfer policy during his tenure at the Stadium of Light.

After losing star striker Ross Stewart to Southampton this summer, Mowbray stated that he needed a prolific number nine, but he brought in four inexperienced forwards in Luis Hemir Semedo, Eliezer Mayenda, Nazariy Rusyn, and Mason Burstow, all of whom failed to score prior to Mowbray’s departure.

Mowbray acknowledged following his final game as manager against Millwall last month that he was unsure whether he would be permitted to sign a new striker in January.

“Of course, I get asked and sit in on recruitment meetings, but we haven’t had one since January,” Mowbray told The Northern Echo.

“But I think the club will say to me ‘we have Mayenda, Rusyn, Hemir and Burstow on loan from Chelsea, so you have four strikers, what do you want another striker for’?”

He previously expressed his dissatisfaction with his lack of involvement in recruitment, adding, “It’s not really my decision; the club wants to develop young players and give them an opportunity.”

Mowbray did an excellent job at Sunderland, bringing the club to the play-offs in their first season back in the Championship and constructing a team that played attractive, offensive football.

However, his side’s lack of a clinical striker proved expensive, and it was clearly a massive error for the Black Cats not to back Mowbray in the transfer market.

As Cook mentioned, Mowbray has a reputation for giving young players an opportunity, which might help Birmingham keep midfielder Jordan James and on-loan Fulham striker Jay Stansfield, while also allowing him to clinch some valuable loan deals.

However, the board must ensure that Mowbray is given a mix of youth and experience to give him the best opportunity of success at the club.

Cook cannot afford any further damage to his reputation following the criticism he received for his role in the Rooney hiring. Mowbray has demonstrated that he is not hesitant to speak out if he is unhappy.

The Blues are unlikely to be relegated under Mowbray, but if the club is to flourish in the future years, they must give him their entire support.