Birmingham has mostly been in the bottom half of the Championship standings since the contentious dismissal of John Eustace back in October. Considering that Wayne Rooney only managed to win two of his fifteen games in command before being fired after just three months, his tenure might be viewed as a complete failure. After that, Tony Mowbray took charge and the Blues started to finally regain their form, winning four out of eight games.
Birmingham City quickly fired Wayne Rooney following his disastrous Championship season. Unfortunately, unfortunately, the club just revealed that Mowbray will be temporarily resigning from his position as on-site manager because he needs medical attention. It is anticipated that Mowbray will be absent for the next six to eight weeks, thus Assistant Manager Mark Venus will temporarily assume leadership.
The season is essentially over for the club because they are in the bottom part of the table, therefore they must already be planning for the next one. Birmingham will have to make some important decisions in the summer about which players stay at St Andrews and which ones go.
Nine Blues players are listed by Halftimenews as possible departures at the end of the current campaign.
Gary Gardner
The 31-year-old’s six-year tenure with the team will come to an end when his contract expires at the end of the current campaign. Gardner had been a consistent midfield player for the Blues in past seasons, but he has mostly been benched this year and appears to be leaving.
Marc Roberts
Roberts’ experience is comparable to Gardner’s in that he was formerly a regular with the Blues but is now primarily on the sidelines. Additionally, Roberts’ contract is slated to expire at the end of the current campaign. If the Blues intend to rebuild their roster, they will likely search elsewhere for a replacement rather than extend their offer to the defender.
Neal Etheridge
This season, Etheridge has been Birmingham City’s backup goalkeeper behind John Ruddy. He is set to become a free agent in the summer, and Birmingham is unlikely to extend his contract. The 34-year-old may be ending his four-year tenure with the Blues, having joined the team in 2020.
Marcel Oakley
For Oakley, Birmingham has two options before the 2019–20 season. Due to his contract expiring in the summer, they may decide to send him out on loan or release him. Even if he decides to stay at St Andrews, he will probably not be able to crack the starting lineup. In any case, there’s a good likelihood he will leave in June.
Bradley Mayo
Before turning pro in 2022, the 19-year-old goalie began playing for Birmingham as an Under-9 and advanced through the team’s development ranks. His contract expires in the summer, same like Oakley’s, so he can go as a free agent or stay at St Andrews and probably be sent out on loan.
Williams Josh
Josh Williams is another young player who might be leaving in the summer. It seems unlikely that Birmingham will employ the 21-year-old much next season after he spent the first half of the campaign on loan with League One strugglers Cheltenham Town. He only made one league start. With two years remaining on his deal, Williams might be wise to go on another loan.
Alfie Chang
One of Birmingham’s best young players, the 21-year-old has been sidelined by injury for nearly the whole season. The Blues may decide to send him out on loan whenever he returns from his injury to give him regular football experience.
Jordan James
In the summer, Birmingham will need to perform exceptionally well to hold onto James. The 19-year-old garnered a lot of attention in January due to reports that he was close to signing a contract with Atalanta, a Serie A team. Although a trade never happened, the midfield player—who Birmingham values at £10 million—will be in the spotlight come summertime.
Jutkiewicz Lukas
Over the past eight years, Jutkiewicz has been an excellent employee of the club, but his contract is about to expire, so his time at St Andrews may be coming to an end. With only a few league starts this season, it is evident to all that he is no longer the reliable striker Birmingham can count on to produce crucial goals.
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