Stick Or Twist?

29 Apr 2022 | 11 comments

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The following article has been written by one of our Trust members.  They are the opinions of that person and not necessarily those of Blues Trust.  Would you like to contribute a discussion point of your own about Birmingham City Football Club?  If so, we would be delighted to hear from you.

With only two games to go in a hugely disappointing and forgettable season, should Blues continue with Lee Bowyer at the helm? Stick or twist? After last season’s heroics by Lee, I genuinely thought we had at last found a new messiah to ease the memory of the one and only Gary Rowett. After all, it is Rowett who has been our most successful manager in ten years.

Of course, injuries have hit hard this season and some dreadful refereeing decisions have certainly not helped. But, overall, has Bowyer done enough to warrant another season? He has tried in recruiting the likes of Tahith Chong and Troy Deeney, which at the time appeared very exciting and gave supporters the buzz for good times ahead. Add Lyle Taylor and Onel Hernandez to the mix and, again, prospects looked good. But we know the rest and we want this campaign forgotten.

That said, should we once again seek out optimism for a new season? And especially one that will be upon us very soon as we start up late July in view of the World Cup? Much needs to be sorted quickly though, and I would imagine a few big decisions will have to be made.

But back to Lee Bowyer’s position as the man in charge of delivering a successful football team. At the moment he looks battered and sponged out, but he is a fighter and he is no doubt hurting at recent results. Better the devil you know has a certain appeal, but of course we mustn’t let the fact pass that had Derby County and Reading not had points deducted then our worst season in the Championship since 2011 would have been a reality. We have had a lucky escape.

Next season we need strong players with attitude and desire to overcome any lack of real quality and skill, and to perform worthy of the profession they have chosen. Coventry, Luton, Blackpool and Blackburn appear to have what’s required for this punishing league after years of being in the wilderness. They also have managers who know the ropes.

So perhaps we need to stick with Bowyer and accept that it will take time for him to turn things around? If he is given the opportunity, although albeit limited I’m sure, to recruit more of the players he wants then maybe, just maybe, our fortunes will improve. Stick or twist is down to the owners, but the views of supporters may well influence what they decide. A tricky one this, with opinions very much split being my forecast.

Mitchell Bray

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11 Comments

  1. Robert Laight

    The teams mentioned all play out from the back. Quick, neat football easy to watch and very successful. If Blues do not possess the players with the levels of skill to play this type of game, please tell me who they are. The problem lies with the manager, not the players. Why would he play a system that no supporter wants to watch, unless he is incapable of coaching his team to play out from the back.

    • Mitchell

      Very good point Robert.

  2. Chris

    I wish I knew the answer to this, part of me wants him to succeed but all in all LB has been a total flop and I wonder whether we can afford to give him another year, as has been said many times if it wasn’t for Derby and Reading we could have been relegated. Some of his team selections have been reminiscent of the Lee Clark era!. He seems obcessed in making every player into a defender!. Considering he’s got some of the best attacking players at his disposal than the previous 5 managers even with the injuries we’ve had we should still have been looking at at least a mid table finish.

    • tracey tyler

      What we need is a Manager who can bring our talented youngsters through,Steve Cooper can and has at Nottingham Forest but can Bowyer??? We have good youngsters who for some reason either get snapped up by other clubs or do not get a chance to establish themselves at Blues,Gordon and James are the exceptions but we need to give serious time to the likes of Stirk,Hall,Browne,Andrews and Bellinghamto next season or they will be heading for greener pastures.

  3. Smithy

    Basically LB is about what Blues can expect and afford. STICK with him for 10 games into the new season. However my gut feeling is that he will not be here to see the summer out.

  4. Ed Truman

    It is a tricky one Mitchell, you’re right. Like others I have been confused and disappointed of late, particularly with the apparent reluctance to change approach when the resources at his disposal became so limited. What looked like stubbornness has cost us at times I’m sure.

    But we shouldn’t forget that the season started pretty well, and there were reasons for encouragement early on. And whilst it’s absolutely true that injuries and so on affect every team during a season, I can’t help wondering how things might have panned out if the likes of Sarkic, Sanderson, Chong, McGree and others had not been lost to him for a variety of reasons.

    On balance, I think we should stick with him and hope that the club back’s him as best they can during the next transfer window. He deserves the chance I reckon.

  5. Trevor

    In the last 6 years Blues have performed similarly and have hovered around the bottom of the Championship. In that time we have had 4 managers. All of them have performed similarly. I would say the problem lies higher up.

  6. Sausage n Egg

    I don’t want a manager that sits in the dugout in a sulk..He is not a leader (unlike as an player)..if we are stuck with the idiots upstairs then we deserve a better option as manager ..he’s forgot about keeping it simple and playing to strengths of what he has ..if as suspected it is more freebies ,loans and journeymen and a couple of youngsters then at least have someone who plays them in position ..that isn’t Lee Bowyer

  7. Mitchell Bray

    Post Cardiff comment: Strange and subdued Lee Bowyer cutting a sad figure ( my opinion). Point always good away from home but this game hinged on nothing and the aftermath just like the season, echoed of hollowness. Cannot be too critical as we all know this accumulation of below average points is about right for the group of players we have.

  8. Tru Blu

    It’s a stick for me. Let’s give Lee a chance next season to get his own players in and build a solid foundation. There’s too much short term thinking in football, as a former player he deserves our loyalty. I’m not expecting promotion or even play offs, just a solid improvement to signal intent.

    • Sausage n Egg

      Loyalty is earned ..he hasn’t earned it ..I’m sick of listening to his “we was the better team rhetoric” when we clearly were not..sick of his “i had a little chat”after an accceptable performance from a player ..if you take credit you also got to accept blame when you are the problem in my book ..sick of the “ I keep telling them they are good players”. Try telling them they are s*** and let them prove to you otherwise!! The constant hanging out to dry of players in public is NOT what decent managers do… the dour sullen looking watery eyes like a bloodhound that’s had it’s dinner bowl taken away is not going to inspire anyone either as a fan base we don’t and never have reached for the stars..many of us have given up..if Lee stays I won’t be going anymore I shall put the heating and lights on in winter instead my family would appreciate it more

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