After a miserable run of fixtures which produced only one point from eighteen, and with frustration growing significantly amongst Blues supporters, the club moved to address a potentially calamitous situation by relieving Mark Venus of his duties and installing Gary Rowett as interim manager until the end of the season. Gary now has 8 games in 6 weeks to stop the slide and prevent relegation. Quite a challenge.

The predicament which we now find ourselves in was never envisaged nor remotely dreamed of back in August when the sun was shining, Tom Wagner and co were first in situ and the team was picking up points comfortably. But here we are. Again.

We have seen a number of articles written recently bemoaning the absence of Tony Mowbray as the main reason for our plight, with hope and belief slowly draining from supporters at the very time when winning the odd game should be more than expected. My considered take on this since digesting the last three defeats, which has sent us to the cusp of despair, is that it is sheer lunacy that we should be in this position at all.

Blaming who we want, and there have been a few clanger droppers as the season has progressed, is not the sole reason why we are so poor. And, of late, seemingly incapable of winning just the minimum number of matches for us to fight season in the Championship. There will be ample time for an examination of the reasons at season’s end.

We surely have enough quality in our locker to get the paltry number of points required for survival, but have we really understood what’s needed? Talk about each of our remaining games being like cup finals is both laughable and insulting to supporters, who expect each game to be fought for by well paid players. That should be the norm for goodness sake, not just in the face of adversity.  

Again, I feel this situation of clinging on to our Championship status has not been brought about by simply losing Tony Mowbray for the last six games, but by the fragile mentality of those not up for the challenge.

Should Blues finally get relegated this season it will not be easy to absorb, especially after twelve seasons of scraping the barrel and clinging on when very limited budgets at least offered some sort of mitigation. Things are different now. This time around, and after welcoming new owners, we all felt the good vibes and had serious cause to hope that we could at last say good riddance to a decade of treading water at best. We understood that the demands of financial fair play for the current season might restrict immediate challenge for a play off place, but we didn’t expect another season of grim struggle.

With Gary Rowett now in charge we may yet see an upward tick in results over the remaining eight games and, even better, the removal of the threat of relegation. Let us hope so. Heaven knows Blues supporters deserve some joy, albeit with April waiting to frazzle our nerves yet again.

It is good to see Gary being so warmly received by the majority of Blues fans who have made their views public. He is a very capable manager at this level and, of course, he has a good history with the club from his previously successful spell. I wish him well.

My best wishes for Tony Mowbray’s health are paramount obviously. Succeeding over the next eight games and remaining in this league will be great medicine for him I’m sure. And for the rest of us too.

Mitchell Bray