Birmingham City need certainty on three coaches—and it all relies on the manager

Almost everything is up in the air at Birmingham City this summer after the club’s relegation to League One

Birmingham City’s eight senior players out of contract aren’t the only ones looking for answers about their futures this summer. The Blues start the off season with a slew of unanswered issues about their coaching staff.

Clarification on the manager must be the Blues’ primary concern. Tony Mowbray stepped aside in February to undertake medical treatment, with the idea that he would return to oversee the team during preseason.

Mowbray’s health is more vital than any football result, but the Blues cannot afford to go into June without clear confidence about their managerial status. Everyone should know who the Blues’ manager will be next season before the transfer window opens next month.

During Mark Venus’ brief tenure as interim leader, we saw firsthand the importance of the team’s figurehead. Venus and the other players appeared disoriented without their mentor on the sideline.

Venus’ future also has to be determined. The 57-year-old’s six-game stint in the month following Mowbray’s departure garnered only one point and contributed to the Blues’ relegation.

Venus has been Mowbray’s number two for two decades and is unquestionably his most reliable ally in the game. If Mowbray returns to Blues this summer, Venus will very certainly accompany him.

But what will happen to the last remnants of the Wayne Rooney regime? Pete Shuttleworth is the only Rooney-appointed coach still on the Blues’ books, but he was not part of Gary Rowett’s staff. Rowett wanted fewer voices in the camp, so Shuttleworth was relocated.

Ashley Cole, who joined at the same time as Rooney but was pursued by the leadership, was used by Rowett. Cole’s main duty this season has been set piece coaching.

Will Cole be a member of the club’s coaching staff going forward? That could depend on who the management is. Almost everything depends on it. One thing is clear this summer: the frequency of club comments will not slow down.