Sorry, but it’s become impossible to argue the case for Zola to stay

Life on the Zolacoaster has brought more downs than ups and, with the club in freefall, Brian Dick says Blues simply cannot risk their future by keeping the Italian manager

TUESDAY night’s defeat to relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic was a massive step back for Birmingham City.

Not only in terms of results – Blues fans have become all too accustomed to seeing their side lose – but in terms of performance.

The first-half display, in which they gifted Wigan their goalscoring chances, was as lacking in intensity as any I can remember over the past two years.

There was a slight improvement in terms of urgency in the second but, in truth, Gianfranco Zola’s team never really threatened Latics goalkeeper Matt Gilks.

Which was why they were booed off – even Zola admitted that was fair.

The forbearance shown by the supporters inside St Andrew’s has been commendable for the last three months – a period that has seen Blues win just twice in 15 league games.

The vast majority have put whatever disillusionment they felt about former boss Gary Rowett’s departure to one side and backed their football team. They have tried admirably to get aboard the Zolacoaster.

However, their patience is not limitless and on Tuesday night it was stretched too far.

When results haven’t come his way Zola has always been able to point to some attractive performances, and even when the performances haven’t been there, he’s been able to cling to an evolving brand of football.

On Tuesday, there was no result, no performance and no style. Indeed, when Blues did up the tempo in the second half it was only after reverting to a back four and adopting a much more direct approach.

Under any criteria, where was the progress?

And Zola’s admission that Blues could find themselves in a relegation battle if they continue to play like they did on Tuesday poses a serious question. What reason is there to believe they won’t continue to play like that?

Tuesday night’s display was a huge regression and with Cardiff, Newcastle, Ipswich, Brighton and Derby to play, what are the prospects of winning even a single match? On paper, those fixtures are all far more demanding than Wigan at home.

Like so many Birmingham supporters, I desperately wanted Zola to be a success, to overhaul the playing style and to help turn Blues into play-off challengers.

I still find him a likeable and engaging person, who clearly has a rich footballing pedigree and some very fine principles about how to play the game.

He was handed a remarkably difficult task, replacing a largely popular manager, while transforming the playing style and maintaining a play-off campaign.

I struggle to think of any manager who could have overseen all that.

And I was even prepared to sacrifice this season’s positive start for a sign that things would be better and more sustainable in 2017/2018.

But with just nine points from 15 matches, with Tuesday night’s performance suggesting a nose-dive and the position at the bottom of the table becoming uncomfortable, it has become impossible to argue the case for Zola to continue.

Even if Blues manage to scrape together enough points to stay in the division – and I believe they still will – what then? How can they go into the summer transfer market confident that everything will be all right after a few signings and a decent pre-season?

It might be, and I hope it is, but – and it could well be my shortcoming – I just can’t see the evidence for it.

And the possibility of not scraping enough points and suffering relegation to League One is just too big a risk to take.

Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to believe, at the moment I can’t, and an honourable man should probably do the honourable thing.