A 1-0 win over Norwich at St. Andrew’s on the final day was not enough to save Birmingham City from relegation to the third tier of English football for the first time since 1994. This was the culmination of a chaotic season – which had seen four different permanent managers grace the dugout and 32 players used.

The season had started on a wave of optimism about the Blues’ chances. American investment, with Tom Brady becoming a co-owner, fuelled the belief that it was time to push on from Championship stagnation and restore ambition to the former Premier League side. Birmingham had spent the previous seven seasons stuck between 17th and 20th in the Championship. The addition of 15 new players to the squad in the summer window further encouraged the idea that something exciting was happening. 

The Blues delivered on this promise in the early stages of the season. At the end of August, they had 11 points from 5 games, including eye-catching wins against Leeds United and Plymouth Argyle.

By September, things had faltered somewhat. Two points in five games meant fans had to alter their expectations for the season. Yet two convincing home wins at the start of October marked a resounding comeback. Manager John Eustace was praised for the character he had instilled in the side, with the 3-1 win over West Midlands rivals West Brom marking what was to become a rare season highlight. The Blues were sitting in a very respectable sixth place.

Days later, Eustace was sacked. This was, perhaps, not the shocking decision it initially appeared to be given his general performance. The new board had made many signals of its ambition, and ruthlessness would be a key part of this. It was felt that Eustace was delivering a brand of football with a ceiling. His more conservative, pragmatic approach could get the job done, but was unlikely to shatter any paradigms that would take Birmingham back to the promised land of the Premier League.

The subsequent appointment of Wayne Rooney is a decision many Blues fans will look back on as costing them their Championship status

The subsequent appointment of Wayne Rooney is a decision many Blues fans will look back on as costing them their Championship status. The ownership appeared to want to bring a big name in to make a statement about Birmingham’s intentions. Rooney himself made all the right noises about delivering a front-footed, no fear style of football. However, there were many who had reservations. It was felt that the ex- Manchester United and England legend lacked the managerial credentials to deliver in such a competitive league. He had seen his side relegated to League One with Derby County, albeit under the cloud of a points deduction, and had a brief stint with MLS side D.C. United. 

Those reservations turned out to be justified. Rooney’s side put in lacklustre performances in its first two games away at Middlesbrough and home to Hull City. This then seemingly caused Rooney to abandon all principles. As poor as those performances had been, and the scorelines of 1-0 and 2-0 certainly could have been greater, there were at least signs of an attempt to implement pressing football and building from the back. But in the next game, the Blues would set up in a defensive 5-4-1 shape away at Southampton and be thoroughly outplayed.

Things continued to get worse for Rooney. The poor results kept coming, and making constant alterations in both tactics and personnel reinforced the view that this was a man out of his depth at this level. Rooney was gone by the turn of the year. He had presided over 15 games, winning just two and losing nine.

The well-respected and well-travelled Tony Mowbray had fans on side from day one

His replacement would turn out to be a very popular one. The well-respected and well-travelled Tony Mowbray had fans on side from day one. This may have been partly because they would warm to anyone who was not the vilified Rooney at this point, but Mowbray was also far quicker to earn public goodwill. The side immediately looked to be more fearless and better-coached. The results were not bad either, with 3 wins in 6 league games. But then another curveball would be thrown in Birmingham’s direction when the news broke that Mowbray would have to step away from the game for medical reasons. He formally stepped down from the role in May.

The loss of Mowbray was a hammer-blow to Birmingham’s season. His assistant manager, Mark Venus, took temporary charge, and the Blues managed just one point in six games. A relegation dogfight was now inevitable. The board turned back to an old face to combat this task. Gary Rowett was appointed having previously worked wonders at St. Andrew’s before being very harshly dismissed. Rowett would do a very credible job, picking up 11 points from the final eight games of the season. However, at the same time, the Blues’ relegation rivals were also picking up points. It was too little, too late, as far as surviving another year in the Championship.

There was constant upheaval both amongst the playing and managerial staff

A lack of stability and a lack of leadership ultimately condemned Birmingham City to a relegation few were forecasting before a ball was kicked. There was constant upheaval both amongst the playing and managerial staff. The myriad of new signings failed to gel on the pitch. Experienced players such as Troy Deeney and former club captain Harlee Dean were let go in the summer, and this really told as the Blues named an astonishing seven captains across the season. 

When it comes to next season, Birmingham will certainly harbour ambitions of going straight back up. They have the status and will have the budget to ensure they can assemble a squad with enough firepower to do so. However, League One is a notoriously hard league to get out of and hosts many similarly ambitious clubs. If the Blues are to bounce back from this season from hell, they will need to reverse their trajectory, and quickly.

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