Hull City’s head coach believes Tony Mowbray has been…

The Tigers will face the Blues for the fourth time in the league and cup this season. 

Liam Rosenior, Hull City’s head coach, believes Tony Mowbray has been a huge role model to him since the early days of his embryonic management career.

Mowbray will not be in the MKM Stadium dugout as the experienced manager recovers from surgery, leaving his long-term assistant Mark Venus in control while the 60-year-old recovers at home.

The two managers have only met once this season, in an FA Cup replay at St Andrew’s in January, which Mowbray’s side won 2-1 thanks to two late goals to knock the Tigers out, while City won the corresponding league fixture in the second city early in Wayne Rooney’s brief tenure, and Rosenior admits that seeing his managerial role-model return to the dugout can’t come soon enough.

“The most important thing in life is your health, and Tony’s been a role model for me,” Rosenior told Hull Live on the eve of the MKM Stadium match. “I believe he is aware of how much Tony has influenced my managerial career, as I have spoken with him and sent him texts. I admire his self-awareness, humility, honesty, and transparency.

He’s top, and I’m putting this on record, but he already knows what I think of him, and I hope he’s okay, and I wish him and his family the best. I hope he’s back doing what he loves soon, because the game is a better place with him in it.

Birmingham will arrive in East Yorkshire in jeopardy, with 38 points, one of three clubs tied with Stoke City for the final relegation berth. In reality, only six points separate Watford in 12th and the Potters in 20th, as the Championship once again demonstrates what a difficult division it is, which does not surprise Rosenior.

“It’s crazy, and yes, that’s the strength of this league,” the City manager remarked. “This league is incredibly challenging. I believe that after analysing Birmingham, they appear to be a different team than we have encountered in the past.

I believe Tony has done a fantastic job. They’re playing with a lot of enthusiasm and confidence, and they’re pressing much higher. They are taking the ball In some locations, they play Tony Mowbray-style football.

“They lost to Southampton in their last game but played quite well. They had so many fantastic times that they moved to Ipswich and occasionally caused difficulties.

It won’t be an easy game by any means, but I know they’ll be worried about us, and if we perform at the level that I expect, we have a strong chance of winning.”

City has one of the finest road records in the league, but their home form is the essence of middle-of-the-road, with Rosenior’s team sitting in 12th place with seven wins, five draws, three defeats from 17 MKM Stadium games. The Manager, nevertheless, insists his emphasis is simply on winning the game, wherever that is.

“Just win the next game, literally, that’s it,” he went on to say. “I am going to grow increasingly boring to you. The goal is to win the following game.

“Isn’t it amazing? Because we assembled this squad in January. Since February 1st, we have 14 points from seven games, although it doesn’t seem like it.

I feel like we could have more. We haven’t discussed runs of form or the results we need to achieve, and I won’t. It’s all about focusing on the next game and doing our best in each one.”

Saturday’s stalemate at Preston seemed like a better point for the Tigers than it did for the hosts, and given the nature of the contest, Rosenior anticipates 11 more as the season nears its conclusion.

“I believe every game in the Championship is like that, regardless. Give Preston credit; they performed exceptionally well that day, and that is what they will continue to do.

“We are playing Birmingham, and they are fighting for their lives. That is what it is like. That is how it is today at the end of the season. It makes no difference whether you are playing against a fellow play-off opponent, a promotion rival, or someone fighting relegation; every game is important.

The game was as important to us as it was to Preston. It meant no more to them than it did to us. They play with a lot of fight and energy, and we more than matched them at times without even playing football, which is something we need to work on.”