Analysis from Richard Wilford, BBC Radio WM sports editor
Tony Mowbray’s decision to step down permanently from his job at St Andrew’s feels like the final exclamation mark of a season that promised much and ended in frustration and relegation.
One of football’s great enthusiasts, you can only hope he is back to full strength again soon.
He was a breath of fresh air when he arrived in January, with his customary positivity and his ability to bring the best out of all around him.
Birmingham City’s form perked up significantly, and the back-to-back wins over Blackburn and Sunderland in February hinted at a run to Championship safety.
Owner Tom Wagner and CEO Garry Cook may well have viewed Mowbray as exactly the right character to confront the challenge of League One, a path he has trodden successfully before.
Now they find themselves looking for a new manager again – a fourth appointment in 12 months after Rooney, Mowbray and Rowett.
It is one they need to get right, although they will not want to deviate from their desire to see attractive, progressive football being played.
With the eye-opening plans for the future of Blues, it is a very enticing job for an ambitious coach. But it will come with an instant pressure to succeed.
