‘BROKEN’ WINDOW SHATTERED STEVE
FIVE league defeats in a row. In the relegation zone. Two points off the foot of the table.
Garry Monk (right) is set to be announced as Birmingham manager in the next 24 hours and he will find a mess on his desk when he arrives.
The former Leeds and Middlesbrough boss is the No.1 choice of the club’s Chinese owners, who ran out of patience with Steve Cotterill following this loss.
Zhao Wenqing, head of parent company Birmingham Sport Holdings, flew in to discuss Cotterill’s replacement at St Andrew’s in midweek.
It is understood Monk was top of their list in the summer before he opted for Boro.
Wenqing will finally get his man at the second attempt, making Monk the Blues’ fourth manager in 14 months since Gary Rowett was sacked with the club in seventh place.
Cotterill knew his time was up after Saturday’s game and paid tribute and staff.
He said: “You could see the players gave me everything. All week the staff, coaches and players have been brilliant with me.
“They knew their manager was under pressure and they were totally committed for me.
“It’s going to be tough for any manager who loses his entire back four for two months and David Davis, a midfielder in great form.
“But there’s no one who, having seen this performance, to his players can say they didn’t give their all for me. It just wasn’t enough. We deserved at least a point. Nottingham Forest were clinical when they had their chances and we weren’t – and that has been our season. “Any team who struggles to score will be in trouble. Our leading scorer has just six goals.” The writing was on the wall of the City Ground for Cotterill as early as the sixth minute when Joe Lolley’s drive was fumbled into his own goal by keeper David Stockdale.
But only some fine saves BIRMINGHAM have been lurching from one crisis to another for too long and Steve Cotterill is the latest victim.
Mirror Sport understands City’s struggling players found recent times ‘difficult’ under Cotterill (right), who was at loggerheads with chief executive officer Xuandong Ren.
Blues players felt Cotterill let turmoil with Ren affect his coaching at St Andrew’s. By the from Costel Pantilimon and wasteful finishing prevented Birmingham from getting some sort of reward.
Matters were made worse 11 minutes from time when Matty Cash drilled home Forest’s second goal from the edge of the area.
Blues captain Michael Morrison replied three minutes from time with a bullet header from a corner.
Forest boss Aitor Karanka celebrated his first home win since taking charge in January and has a lot of sympathy for Cotterill.
He said: “Football is our life and it is not nice to see a manager in this position. end of his reign, Cotterill could not contain his frustration at the club’s botched January transfer window, which he described as a “bugbear”.
He was left fuming at the failure to sign anyone after being promised a new striker when he took over in October.
Cotterill felt their business was damaged by rookie Ren taking control of transfers off football consultant Darren Dein following a bust-up. Ren failed to Sometimes as a manager you cannot do anything more. I give him my support because he deserves it.”
Lolley said scoring so early was key to getting Karanka that elusive City Ground victory. He said: “The goal was important and it knocked their confidence.” land any of Cotterill’s early new year targets – primarily Jordan Hugill and Kasey Palmer, who later opted for West Ham and Derby respectively.
Ren instead recommended players to Cotterill from overseas, including South Korea and Iceland.
Tensions rose at St Andrew’s between the pair while agent Dein, on a £25,000-a-month retainer, has been frozen out this year.