The owners of Birmingham City want “no fear,” but they did John Eustace a number of disservices

After guiding Birmingham City through a period of civic unrest in his first season and leading the Blues to sixth place in the Championship this year, John Eustace was fired.

I had previously been summoned to the manager’s office at Birmingham City.

Thomas Francis? Frequently a complaint about the owners. Bruce Steve? One of the biggest mouthfuls ever off-loaded in my direction, his opening shot, was. Mr. Alex McLeish? Is Gary Rowett? Lewis Clark? Like chatting with friends at the bar. Maybe I had matured a little. Who knows?

A few weeks prior, it was the day before the trip to Watford. After the pre-game news conference, John Eustace requested a brief conversation. We talked inanely. I then enquired as to his intentions.

He responded, “Just to let you know that this is personal for me. I’m interested in this. I’m a local. I understand what this means. I’m eager for this to be a success.

Kindly note, You probably believe I’ve heard this a hundred times. even a thousand times. However, it is not how managers in professional football speak.

They all do care, yes. Insofar as it has an impact on them, yes, it is personal. The majority land in the West Midlands via parachute. They are not nearby. Most people will never comprehend the supporters they stand for. They simply cannot.

As a little child, Eustace was expelled from Blues when David Sullivan destroyed the institution. He wore the shirt with the globe and ball on it. Before he returned at Coventry City and succeeded as a professional, his own aspirations were destroyed.

He completely agrees with every Birmingham City fan out there in that regard. Broken dreams ‘r’ us.

The obligation the club owes Eustace shouldn’t be forgotten by those with short memories who are now looking to the future. He was the thing that held things together a year ago. Between owners and followers, a civil war broke out. Even if it was financially supported, the threat of discontent was always present.

In order to make sense of everything, Eustace put together a team that was highly dependent on loan players. Although he hadn’t been left with a massive amount, it almost worked with a few smart moves, including the acquisitions of Maxime Colin and Lukas Jutkiewicz, Auston Trusty of Arsenal, Dion Sanderson of Wolves, and Krystian Bielik from Derby.

Eustace had acted rationally. He attempted to assemble the jigsaw puzzle using the components. And if you’re a manager of a Championship football team, you have to have that realism. There, it has the fiercest competition. Champagne football cannot be played with players from an alehouse. It’s that easy.

He was informed it was a rebuilding project once new American owners Knighthead took over, both in terms of the team and literally the stands. Eustace was aware of the directive. However, requesting “no fear” football, as today’s declaration states, is wishful thinking until any team is willing to finance a thorough makeover.

The campaign’s manager requested strong players in advance. men who would play more than 35 games a season. Men he could center his philosophical ideas around. He did not want damaged bodies littering the hospital room.

At least four of the summer acquisitions are presently injured. Ethan Laird and Tyler Roberts haven’t been seen in a while.

You therefore have a manager who is aware of the club. at peace with his backers. sixth place in the Championship with a group he hasn’t yet seen at their finest. And for what reason was he fired?

Football player Wayne Rooney had an unrivaled reputation on the field. Not really as a manager.

However, the former star of England has now been tasked with instilling “no fear” soccer and aligning the owners’ “winning mentality.” Though you never know, it would be interesting to see how it relates to his time spent with Derby County and DC United.

When Gary Rowett was fired seven years ago, the club had just defeated Ipswich to climb into seventh place, and Gianfranco Zola was brought in to find the entertaining, successful football that everyone, it seems, strives for.

Contrary to common belief, a magic wand does not exist. Either players can do it or they can’t.

The outcome? The club barely managed to remain open.

Eustace was not a well-known figure in terms of his appeal. That was irrelevant to the supporters.

Do not judge a guy by his words, but by his deeds. He can walk away from the situation with a smile on his face and the appreciation of every single supporter, if not the new owners, for a job well done.

They have raised the bar, after all. And Wayne, I wish you the best of luck with that.