Owner Tom Wagner and CEO Garry Cook are leading the search for the best candidate to fill Mowbray’s shoes in the St Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park dugout. It’s a complex situation as Blues are showing excellent ambition for the future but the relegation from the Championship to League One makes the job far less appealing.
As it stands, Birmingham are the favourites to win the title in England’s third tier but plenty could still change with the summer transfer window to come. Just 17 senior players are contracted for next campaign and several are expected to leave for pastures new, including wonderkid midfielder Jordan James.
Any new manager must take these factors into consideration when deciding if Blues are the right fit for them. Alex Neil and Paul Heckingbottom have emerged as early candidates as both have been contacted by Birmingham for initial talks. It awaits to be seen if any progress has been made with either.
Punters hoping to predict the outcome of Blues’ manager search will be disappointed as there aren’t any official markets open as it stands. The likelihoods of various candidates have been assessed, however. Here’s a full run-through, starting with those at 20/1 and finishing with the favourites.
1. Frank Lampard (unemployed)
Odds of being named the next Birmingham manager: 20/1 | Getty Images
2. Scott Parker (unemployed)
Odds of being named the next Birmingham manager: 20/1 | Getty Images
3. Steve Bruce (unemployed)
Odds of being named the next Birmingham manager: 12/1 | Getty Images
4. Will Still (unemployed)
Odds of being named the next Birmingham manager: 10/1 | AFP via Getty Images