Rowett’s Toughest Season Yet

After the adulation came the reality. From the moment he walked in the door, Gary Rowett began steering the ship back on to steadier waters. It`s easy to forget how much of a mammoth task being the manager of Birmingham City is.

After taking over the reins of a club second bottom in the Championship after an 8-0 home drubbing, Rowett guided the team to a massively overachieved tenth. The progress continued the following season with another tenth place finish – a season in which Blues flirted un-embarrassingly with promotion and did not drop out of the top ten for the entirety of the campaign.

Next season, however, will be a different kettle of fish. Rowett has single headedly raised the expectation at St. Andrews through his own fantastic performance. You can understand why, after finishing tenth twice, a play-off place is seen as the next natural step on the progression ladder.

But make no mistake, Blues have overachieved in the last 21 months and must do so again.

Rowett is adored by most Blues fans – there will always be the keyboard warriors and Championship Manager advocates who always think they know better. But the realists are aware of how good a job he is doing.

Being a realist does have an expiry date though. Blues must at least match their efforts last season to keep the fan base happy. And another season of over achievement will be a mammoth task for Rowett in what will be the toughest season the Championship has ever produced.