Former Birmingham City manager candidate ‘in the running’ after shock Championship sacking

Steve Cooper is among the early favourites to take the Hull City job after Tuesday’s shock sacking of Championship Manager of the Season nominee Liam Rosenior.

The 44-year-old, who was listed as a managerial candidate for Birmingham City before Tony Mowbray arrived at St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park, has been out of work since leaving Nottingham Forest in December.

Given his first and second tier pedigree, it surely won’t be long before Cooper returns to the dugout somewhere - and the Hull job could suit. There’s currently an uproar over the dismissal of Rosenior, so the Tigers must hire a worthy replacement to stop tensions from fully boiling over.

The new boss will be tasked with securing a top-six finish with the view of reaching the Premier League. Cooper certainly fits the billing as he already has one promotion to his name, having guided Forest to the big time via the play-offs in 2022.

He’s not the only contender for the role, though, as former Hamburg manager Tim Walter is the current favourite 1/2. Cooper’s chances, for comparison, come in at 5/2.

The Telegraph reports that Walter, 48, has already been shortlisted. Hull are said to be “huge admirers” of his work and compensation would be required to secure the German’s services as he’s been jobless since February.

Although fairly far apart in the bookmakers’ estimations, it could be a close battle for the Hull position. Employing Walter would be a big risk as he has no experience in England whatsoever. Cooper’s track record, meanwhile, speaks for itself.