Birmingham and Rowett braced for make-or-break Championship finale
New owners have big plans but after the disastrous Rooney reign Blues head into the final day in the relegation zone
“If we had three dice to start with, two are down the drain and we’ve got one left – I’ve got to hope we roll a six,” Gary Rowett said this week as his Birmingham side prepare to welcome Norwich on Saturday lunchtime in a game with huge implications for Blues. Anything other than a win plus favourable results elsewhere would likely consign the club to the third tier for the first time since 1995.
After August’s American takeover with Tom Brady in tow and October’s appointment of Wayne Rooney as manager, Birmingham start the final day in the relegation zone, one place from safety. Plans were announced last month to build a new “world-class” stadium but the immediate task is less glamorous. Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn share their relegation anxiety. One of the four will go down.
