Bristol City are set to act quickly in announcing a new manager following Nigel Pearson’s dismissal at the weekend, according to the latest reports.
Former Birmingham City manager John Eustace is “increasingly likely” to take over at Ashton Gate, as per journalist Darren Witcoop.
City have only been without a manager since Sunday, when Nigel Pearson was relieved of his duties. Pearson’s final fixture saw the Robins defeated 2-0 away at high-flying Cardiff City in the Severnside derby on Saturday.
Eustace was replaced by Wayne Rooney at the Midlands club earlier this month in a decision that came as a shock to many.
The Birmingham job was the 43-year-old’s first full-time managerial role in the English Football League after previous spells at Kidderminster Harriers and even Queens Park Rangers, although the latter was in an interim capacity.
The former midfielder took charge of the Blues in July 2022, succeeding the outgoing Lee Bowyer. Despite the club being favourites to finish bottom in his first season, he steered the club to their highest points tally since 2016, despite issues off the field at the club.
Eustace started this season strongly with Birmingham, winning four of their first five games. However, a winless run of six games led to uncertainty over his position.
He won his final two games at the club, including a derby win over West Bromwich Albion, but was still replaced by Rooney. In a club statement, the board revealed the reasons behind Eustace’s departure:
“It is essential that the Board of Directors and the football management are fully aligned on the importance of implementing a winning mentality and a culture of ambition across the entire Football Club.”
Writer’s View
It was a shock to see John Eustace replaced by Birmingham City, considering the quite remarkable job he did since taking over. It seemed a harsh decision despite the mixed start to the season.
Bristol City are a club that have a clear ambition of promotion, with them being out of the top flight of English football since 1979. Eustace may be the man to lead them there and it is no surprise that the club moved so quickly to bring him back into management.
