Birmingham City have named Tony Mowbray as their new manager on a two-and-a-half year deal, six days after sacking Wayne Rooney.
Mowbray, aged 60, recently faced dismissal from Sunderland, a Championship competitor, on December 4. Former England captain Rooney struggled, securing only two victories in his 15 matches as the manager.
Mowbray becomes the club’s third manager this season following the contentious departure of John Eustace in October when Birmingham was positioned sixth in the table.
Since then, Birmingham has plummeted to 20th in the Championship, just six points clear of the relegation zone.
During the FA Cup third-round fixture against Hull City on Saturday, Blues, under caretaker boss Steve Spooner, managed a 1-1 draw.
However, a potential morale-boosting win was thwarted by an 87th-minute equalizer.
However, Mowbray, accompanied by his longstanding assistant Mark Venus, begins his tenure with two consecutive home games. This Saturday, Blues will host Swansea City, currently in 16th place, and coincidentally, under new management with former Notts County boss Luke Williams overseeing his inaugural league match at the helm.
Subsequently, Birmingham will contend with the cup replay against Hull, led by Liam Rosenior.
“Tony was the standout candidate in our search for a new manager,” Blues co-owner and chairman Tom Wagner said. “His knowledge of and passion for the game shone through.
“He shares our ambition and will bring stability at an important time for our great club. We received extremely positive feedback from everyone we spoke to about Tony.”
“He is the right leader at the right time for our club,” chief executive Garry Cook added. “He knows what it takes to be successful at this level.
“Tony has rightfully earned a reputation as a manager who delivers results, likes to play attractive football, and gives young players a chance.”
Bluenoses are passionate – Mowbray
After winning three straight league matches in August under Eustace, Blues have only won four times in the Championship since.
“I can’t wait to get back on the training pitch and start working with this talented group of players,” Mowbray said.
“My focus is on building their confidence, delivering results, and giving Blues fans a team they can be excited by and proud of.
“I know from personal experience how passionate Bluenoses are, home and away, and I’m looking forward to having their full support for the team starting on Saturday at home to Swansea.”
Apart from a brief stint as Ipswich Town’s caretaker boss in four games, Tony Mowbray, originally from North Yorkshire, initiated his 20-year managerial career in Scotland with Hibernian in 2004. He later transitioned to English football by joining West Bromwich Albion.
After his spell at West Bromwich Albion, he returned to Scotland for a season with his former club Celtic and also managed his hometown club Middlesbrough, where he had a significant playing career. Subsequently, Mowbray spent five years as the manager of Blackburn Rovers before taking on the role of Sunderland boss last season.
While at Sunderland, he steered the team to the Championship play-offs, but they were defeated by eventual winners Luton Town in the semi-final. Following a run of just two wins in nine league games before Christmas, he was dismissed.
This marks Mowbray’s third managerial position in the Midlands, with notable achievements such as guiding Albion to the Championship title in 2008 and leading Coventry City for 18 months between March 2015 and September 2016.