Unpredictability is the hallmark of the Championship, but you could always rely on Birmingham City. Regardless of who the manager was, or how many players they signed, finishing in the bottom third of the table, somewhere just above the relegation zone, was almost guaranteed.
They were a model of underwhelming consistency in a division of constant flux, circling the drain year after year until it finally swallowed them whole.
Birmingham’s first season under new owners wasn’t supposed to end like this. Knighthead Capital Management, an American investment firm, took control of the club in July, immediately reinvigorating a disillusioned fanbase. “On the rise again” was their tagline for a new era that promised so much.
It proved bitterly ironic as a self-inflicted relegation to the third tier – the lowest the Blues have been since 1995 – unfolded. After 13 years in the Championship, their spell as its longest-serving club is over.
A relegation that was waiting to happen
Heading into last season, Birmingham had finished between 17th and 20th in each of the previous seven campaigns. Since former owners Trillion Trophy Asia (TTA) replaced Gary Rowett with Gianfranco Zola in 2016, stability and optimism had all but disappeared.
Their stewardship continued in this impulsive and chaotic fashion, relying on a late rescue act from Harry Redknapp in 2017.
Several players signed long contracts on high wages with the aim of winning promotion. Many would become heavy burdens, impossible to shift amid the ceaseless churn of managers as financial problems set in. The relegation places, and accompanying threat of administration, loomed ever closer.
Protests mounted as Birmingham entered a state of managed decline from which there seemed no escape. After a bleak season of playing behind closed doors, more than a third of St Andrew’s remained shut due to structural issues that TTA were unwilling to address. Grimly clinging on to Championship status was the only realistic aim for a moribund club.
Knighthead in shining armour
Last summer, Knighthead acquired a 45.96 per cent stake in the club, as well as 100 per cent of the stadium. Following more than a decade of stagnation, an exciting new dawn finally broke. Despite their minority shareholding, Knighthead were granted operational control of the club with the intention of eventually completing a full takeover.
When Garry Cook, formerly of Manchester City, was installed as CEO, he prioritised new sponsorship deals, increasing revenues to ensure compliance with the EFL’s Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR), which the Blues had previously breached in 2019.
Undefeated, a high-end streetwear brand, became the club’s new kit sponsor, hinting at wider aspirations. NFL legend Tom Brady came on board as “a minority owner”, a marketing gimmick that led to huge media attention. His 330 shares have since been revealed to cost just 3.3 pence in total.
The takeover announcement featured an eye-catching message of ambition from Knighthead co-founder and new chairman Tom Wagner.
“The future of Birmingham City is in good and safe hands,” he said. “The potential of this club is unlimited.” That bold statement was tempered by realism about how long this transformation would take.
Impressive rhetoric was backed up by action. St Andrew’s had fallen into disrepair and simple changes, ranging from hot water in the toilets to new external signage and fan zones, were greeted with enthusiasm. Knighthead were taking a pride in the club that their predecessors never had. Attendances increased as vital repairs were made and safe standing was introduced in the Tilton Road end.
A reckless decision
Back in August, Birmingham beat Leeds United, one of the promotion favourites, and scored an injury-time winner against Plymouth Argyle to take them third. Brady and Wagner watched, having earlier drank with supporters in nearby pub The Roost. It felt like the start of something special.
A wobble followed, prompting questions about the team’s cautious playing style under John Eustace. Rumours of interest in Wayne Rooney, who Cook had previously worked with, became harder to ignore. He was appointed at the worst possible time, just after impressive wins over Huddersfield Town and West Bromwich Albion.
Many supporters found out a couple of days before the official confirmation, when Rooney’s son Kai started following the entire Birmingham squad on Instagram.
The decision to hire Rooney was reckless and complacent. Eustace was doing well with the resources at his disposal. The players respected him and were comfortable playing how he wanted them to.
Cook naively assumed he could afford to make such a jarring change of manager, and playing style, mid-season because the Blues were a long way clear of trouble. The table soon closed in, revealing his folly. Sheffield Wednesday, who were 15 points behind on the day Rooney took over, managed to finish above them.
The statement announcing Eustace’s departure was tactless, citing “the importance of implementing a winning mentality and a culture of ambition”. Knighthead wanted to see brave, possession-based football that Eustace didn’t believe the existing squad could produce.
Birmingham’s self-sabotage
His replacement would be “responsible for creating an identity and clear no fear’ playing style that all Birmingham City teams will adopt and embrace”. This was impossible for anyone, let alone Rooney, to achieve.
Knighthead had promised to listen to supporters but then ignored their concerns, imposing an unwanted new manager with a poor track record. Many would have accepted Eustace being moved on if his replacement had real pedigree.
Rooney was just a famous name who would help market the Blues, but had proven nothing in the dugout. His appointment was a needless act of self-sabotage, torpedoing the goodwill and early momentum that had been established. It alienated supporters and soured the mood around the club for months to come.
Rather than embarking on a gradual evolution, Rooney attempted to drastically overhaul the Blues’ playing style straightaway. The plan backfired spectacularly. Their goalkeeper and backline were nowhere near assured enough on the ball for patient build-up play. Simple mistakes proved costly, infuriating the manager, who acknowledged his players’ discomfort early on and would question their attitude on several occasions.
Birmingham’s unbeaten start at St Andrew’s ended abruptly in Rooney’s first home game against Hull City. After a drab 2-0 defeat, the former D.C. United boss was widely booed and told to “f*** off back to America”.
The team were evidently struggling to carry out his instructions and he admitted that he might have to scale them back. On the whole, the football was poor throughout his reign. There were few signs of encouragement and even Rooney seemed to lose faith, compromising on his ideals.
Rooney’s record as Birmingham manager was dismal. They won two, drew four and lost nine of his 15 games in charge. A previously solid defence was left exposed, conceding 30 goals during this run.
Kevin Long, a no-nonsense centre-back who had helped bring the best out of captain Dion Sanderson, was dropped. In February, he was sold to Toronto FC, leaving the Blues with limited options when injuries struck. His commitment and aerial presence were badly missed.
There were another couple of notable missteps in the transfer market. Although talented, several of the players signed last summer were considered flaky or injury-prone, and so they proved. There were also lots of attacking options, but few outright strikers.
With Scott Hogan’s confidence shot and cult hero Lukas Jutkiewicz increasingly unavailable or ineffective, the burden of scoring goals, and providing a focal point, fell unfairly on Jay Stansfield, a bright young loanee from Fulham.
Rooney was sacked on 2 January with Birmingham down in 20th place. For all the unnecessary disruption his arrival had caused, Knighthead at least recognised their mistake and acted decisively.
Tony Mowbray was a popular appointment who immediately lifted the gloom. Birmingham looked to control possession and play forward with intent, but they weren’t afraid to grind out a few much-needed results.
Mowbray’s passion for coaching and ability to connect with players shone through. The response to February’s shock announcement that he would step away from the club on an unspecified “medical leave of absence” showed the esteem in which he is held throughout football. Although his health was the undoubted priority, and rightly so, it was still a devastating blow for Birmingham.
Rowett’s return
The Blues took just a point from Mark Venus’s ill-fated six-game spell as caretaker manager. The owners had hoped to maintain continuity by leaving Mowbray’s trusted assistant in charge, but a disastrous run of form made that situation untenable.
Eight years after his controversial departure, Rowett was parachuted in and given free rein to get results however he saw fit. Clear leadership was restored but the damage had already been done.
By the time Birmingham had regained their footing, Sheffield Wednesday were on a roll. Queens Park Rangers and Stoke City unexpectedly surged clear of danger. Accused of a weak mentality and lack of leadership, the Blues toiled away from home all season, winning just three times on their travels.
When it really mattered, they passed up two great chances to seize control of their own destiny, drawing at Rotherham United and then Huddersfield. One victory would have made all the difference, but not enough risks were taken, with Rowett seemingly content to avoid defeat.
On the final day, even with victory over play-off bound Norwich City, an atmosphere of passionate defiance was slowly extinguished by results elsewhere. Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn Rovers, now managed by Eustace, all won to seal Birmingham’s fate.
Working under six different managers, some with radically different outlooks, had destabilised the Blues squad. It was telling that Stansfield, whose commitment never wavered, won all five prizes on offer at the club’s end of season awards. He coped best with the constant upheaval.
Bald caps and bullishness
As painful as relegation felt, supporters are keen to keep it in perspective. The long-term implications would have been far worse under the previous owners. The Rooney debacle aside, Knighthead have had a hugely positive impact.
There has been much better communication, serious investment in infrastructure and plans for a transformative new stadium, sports and entertainment complex at the Wheels site in Bordesley Park, which has been purchased for £51m.
Wagner’s antics, like geeing up the crowd and revelling in their adulation, can grate but most supporters have embraced the new chairman and his vision for the club.
Some even dressed as him, wearing blue suits and bald caps, for the final game. At a recent open house event, he revealed that “FEA”, short for “f*** ‘em all”, was his attitude to outside detractors. This bullishness has helped to create a siege mentality amongst fans”
Knighthead’s ultimate aim is to sell the club for a profit. To do this, they want to place the Blues at the heart of a city reinvented by fresh investment and opportunity. Their plan to become a Premier League force in the near future remains unchanged by relegation. Whether that dream is ever realised, supporters at least feel hopeful again after so many lost years.
The Blues go into League One as clear favourites for promotion, with the division’s biggest budget but no manager after Mowbray stepped down to focus on his recovery. Some high-earners have been released and others might look to move on.
It could be the complete reset that’s needed but there are no guarantees of an immediate return, as Sunderland and Ipswich Town discovered. A winning culture will need to be implemented at a club where defeat and despair have become all too common.
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