Despite securing a 1-0 victory over Norwich City on the final day, in a nervy affair, Birmingham City‘s relegation down to the third tier has been confirmed.
The odds of all of the relegation-threatened teams prevailing in each of their respective matches seemed very slim. A win over the Canaries seemed like a difficult task before kick-off, but one that theoretically should’ve been enough to secure safety for another season. However, with wins for Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield Wednesday, and eventually Blackburn Rovers, the Blues’ victory simply came too late.
It was a scintillating start to the season under John Eustace. The Midlands-based side won three of their first four games and performed brilliantly in August; Eustace was questionably sacked by Birmingham in mid-October. With the side sitting in a play-off place, the Blues appointed Wayne Rooney, but he himself was dismissed after 15 games in charge. This drastic decision was unsettling for the club and has arguably been a crucial factor in their relegation to League One.
Reminder that this happened when Birmingham were sixth…can’t help feeling that this is a moment they regret. 😬#BCFC https://t.co/TLC0ZWKTlH
— The Real EFL (@RealEFLSocial) May 4, 2024
A 55th-minute goal from Paik Seung-Ho wasn’t enough to survive the drop after an astonishing final day at the foot of the table. With relatively comfortable wins for Plymouth and the Owls, Gary Rowett’s side were relying on Rovers to lose against Leicester City. An unbelievably ironic turn of events saw the aforementioned ex-Birmingham boss, Eustace, relegate his former employers as Sammie Szmodics struck twice to seal a 2-0 win for the Lancashire side.
It has been a dismal managerial campaign for the Blues with Rooney’s successor, Tony Mowbray, forced to temporarily offload his duty following medical concerns. The appointment of Rowett proved to be too little too late as City have now been relegated to the third division for the first time since 1995. A total of six managers this season has meant that Birmingham’s rhythm felt completely disrupted and no one seemed to get a real foothold with the squad.
Writer’s View
This absurd decision-making by Tom Brady and the rest of the Birmingham board has left them with ‘blood on their hands’. The work Eustace was doing prior to his departure was very impressive, and to replace the 44-year-old for a ‘bigger name’ completely disregarded his managerial ability and experience in the role.
The confirmation of relegation is a shock considering the Blues haven’t played third-tier football for 29 years. This is a major step back in the project that the board had envisaged.
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