Let’s go round again

As story arcs go, this one would take quite some beating.

I’m pretty sure Tom Wagner’s Hollywood A-lister pal would do a double take at the script.

Gary Rowett returning to Blues after almost eight years to tie off the loose ends of – hopefully – the last of the Championship relegation battles we have to endure?

Since the then owners Trillion Trophy Asia (and the first hints of the looming presence of ‘the mysterious Mr King’ in the background, allegedly) jettisoned Rowett and replaced him with Gianfranco Zola, Blues stock has been of the laughing variety.

This is the eighth successive scrap against the drop and Rowett now finds himself back in the (far nicer) technical area at the newly-named St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park tasked with overseeing a rescue act.

When he previously clocked on here, Blues had just been annihilated 8-0 at home by Bournemouth, in October, 2014.

He got Blues to tenth by the end of the 2014/15 season, winning 14 and drawing 10 of his 32 games at the helm.

Since Blues have finished 10th (under Rowett again) then 19th, 19th, 17th, 20th, 18th, 20th, 17th.

Last Saturday, a 1-0 home reverse by Watford left Blues out of the bottom three only on goal difference.

Rowett was sacked by Blues in December, 2016, when they were in eighth position, a point from the play-off zone.

The reasoning was that the club wanted someone to take them to that next level above and change the brand of football.

And here he is, the club through its present custodians wanting someone to stop them falling into the level below.

The decision to appoint him was triggered by Wagner and is a bold one but typical of the nature of Blues chairman and Knighthead Capital co-CEO.

Clearly, he felt that matters could not linger until Tony Mowbray was fit enough after surgery to resume his frontline duties.

Blues statement announcing Rowett’s appointment revealed that the club’s Board and Leadership Team made the move in conjunction with Mowbray.

It must have made for a difficult conversation initially.

But it does seem to be the right course to take, allowing Mowbray to fully concentrate on his heath and recuperation with his return set for the beginning of pre-season.

And it was typical of Mowbray that he helped to identify Rowett as the temporary solution to try to arrest the team’s on-field fortunes.

There has been some surprise that Mowbray’s assistant Mark Venus has also taken a formal leave of absence.

Again, to me anyway, this is understandable. It was to establish unequivocal lines of authority and no potential for mixed messages.

How would it have worked had Rowett come in, effectively over Venus, and Venus was in situ? What would the dynamic have been like? How uncertain or confused would the players have felt? And what if Mowbray was ready to return at the back end of the season?

And, also, let us not forget that Venus has also probably been deeply affected by his close friend’s illness and the burden of picking up all the pieces – he is more comfortable as a number two to Mowbray – had been weighing heavily.

Also Rowett could have reasonably argued that the best chance for him to succeed would be if he had his own staff around him, all of whom are aware of the methodology.

So Rowett has brought in former Blues skipper Paul Robinson, who was his coach at Millwall, and Dave Carolan, a long-time associate who has worked in performance and sports science roles for Rowett at Blues, Derby County, Stoke City and Millwall.

After leaving Millwall, Rowett and Carolan launched a podcast, Breaking Lines, which is worth a listen.

Rowett knows Pete Shuttleworth from first time round at Blues and Ashley Cole came in with Wayne Rooney as a club appointment; so Rowett was comfortable with them staying and providing continuity, as well as Maik Taylor.

It will help Rowett that Joe Carnall, who worked with him at Blues, Derby County, Stoke City and Millwall and is another trusted lieutenant, is at the club as Chief Scout. He might take on a more wide-ranging role to provide assistance as well.

Mowbray’s illness was unforeseen and hugely unfortunate. And, naturally, the most important aspect in all of this is that he makes a full recovery, without complication.

In effect, for me, Wagner made the decision for Mowbray about the date he would be back.

It would not have been easy. Weighing up empathy for Mowbray with Blues position in the league and current form, raising the subject and finding agreement, in a compassionate manner.

As mentioned earlier, Wagner is not someone who sits idly by.

That Blues missed Mowbray as the figurehead, on the training ground and on the sidelines on matchdays, was obvious.

Venus looked bereft after the defeat by Watford, Blues third successive 1-0 reverse. They had played well. Far better than the Middlesbrough game. But it wasn’t enough, once more.

It would have been nice to have seen Mowbray get his teeth into it and, as he said when he was appointed, start the club on the journey of change that the owners demand. Someone else would see it through to new heights, he mused.

His illness halted that and put Blues in a unique predicament. Wagner felt just hoping that Blues would get through to the summer, in the present guise, was not a given.

It was heartening to know that Rowett approached Mowbray to get his blessing about coming in, for an eight-game period.

Rowett’s task now is to find a way that works, make the team harder to beat whilst addressing the lack of goals at the other end of the park. And instilling confidence into the players.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

Marrying the best of how Mowbray likes his teams to play, with the best of a Rowett template, is the ask.

In the wake of the January window, there are a lot of similar-type players in the squad. A striker was not signed and Kevin Long left.

And now there is a concern over Lukas Jutkiewicz, who hobbled off with what looked a bad injury against Watford.

It is ironic that Jutkiewicz was Rowett’s penultimate Blues signing and is now under his charge again.

Jutkiewicz’s capture was announced on the August 31 deadline day just before Rhoys Wiggins loan move from Bournemouth.

His loan from Burnley was made permanent, for £1 million, six days after Rowett’s axing. What Rowett would give for a 26-year-old Jukey!

Since, Jutkiewicz has played under – are you ready? – Gianfranco Zola, Harry Redknapp, Lee Carlsey (caretaker), Steve Cotterill, Garry Monk, Pep Clotet (caretaker head coach, then head coach), Steve Spooner and Craig Gardner (joint caretakers), Aitor Karanka, Lee Bowyer, John Eustace, Wayne Rooney, Spooner (caretaker, again), Mowbray and, I suppose, Venus, too.

Rowett’s appointment has been welcomed by the majority of supporters.

It’s a long time ago now when it all came to end for him at Blues.

Some, as well as the higher powers back then, wanted a more pleasing on the eye style of play. Rowett felt he could meet the owners objectives through steady change, not put a bomb under things – which is what more or less transpired.

There have been mutterings since that Rowett was being eyed up by, and eyeing up, other clubs. And he had turned down a new contract around that time.

In this Birmingham Mail piece, the circumstances are addressed by him.

For now, it doesn’t matter about past history, style or whatever the optics are on or off the pitch. It is about securing Blues status in the Championship, by whatever means, whilst Mowbray convalesces.

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