Fowler future up in the air

ROBBIE Fowler’s future as Brisbane Roar coach has been further clouded after the Liverpool legend was linked with a move to Birmingham City.

Fowler remains stood down from his Roar role despite most of the Brisbane squad having returned to training on Friday ahead of the A-League season’s resumption on July 16. Fowler and his right-hand man, Brisbane technical director Tony Grant, flew home to England in March after the A-League season was suspended due to restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the season’s imminent restart and the pair needing to go into quarantine for two weeks if and when they return to Brisbane, Fowler and Grant remain in the UK.

Fowler told the British show Soccer AM he was “waiting for info back off my club”.

“The players are back in training, but I am still stood down,” he said.

“I’ve put some info to the club to get me over and at the minute it looks like they are not going to get me a flight, so it looks like it might really be up to me to try and make that move. Obviously with me being a foreigner as such, it just seems I am not a priority if that makes sense.

“With me being the manager stuck in the UK I am still stood down, so it’s a little bit of a nightmare, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Roar chief executive David Pourre said last week that Fowler and Grant would return to Brisbane as “quickly as possible”. However, British reports have touted Fowler as a contender for the coaching job at English Championship club Birmingham City, whose current coach Pep Clotet is stepping down shortly.

Assistant Brisbane coach Darren Davies, who was the Roar’s interim head coach last season in tough circumstances following the departure of John Aloisi, will again run training today.

Roar attacking weapon Brad Inman is yet to return to Brisbane training.

The fourth-placed Roar is scheduled to resume its 2019-20 campaign on July 19 against Adelaide United.