Birmingham City fans grew increasingly disillusioned as the 2020/21 campaign dragged on under Aitor Karanka.
The Blues stumbled from dreadful performance to dreadful performance and Spaniard Karanka came in for flak.
Those calling for his head got their wish – the former Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest was boss sacked three days ago.
Birmingham reacted quickly and appointed Lee Bowyer as the new man at the helm – Bowyer having walked away from his job at League One Charlton Athletic a day earlier.
With fans hoping for a resurgence under Bowyer, things seemed to be looking up for them when Lukas Jutkiewicz (4′) netted early.
Here’s that opening goal for Jutkiewicz:
💻Files
↳📁Lee Bowyer era
↳📁Goals
↳📁Jukey v Reading
pic.twitter.com/oKDZ2XblbL— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) March 17, 2021
Here’s what Birmingham City fans reacted like as the Blues took that very early lead against Reading:
Same shirt, different team. This is great to see.
Come on #bcfc!
— Ian Paul Fletcher (@IanPaulFletcher) March 17, 2021
It's frustrating that this recipe has been available all season and yet was never used. Wingers + Juke = goals.
— Steven Lewis (@stevelewis333) March 17, 2021
Amazing what happens when you feed The Juke!
— Blues and Bears (@BluesandBears) March 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/bh_1875/status/1372275276009373698?s=20
How I’ve missed 4-4-2😍😍
— George (@george35626462) March 17, 2021
Here are some comments from individual Birmingham City fans:
Loving this so far, everyone’s fighting for the shirt 💪🏽🔵⚪️👊🏽#BCFC
— BCFC Debate (@BcfcDebate) March 17, 2021
Bowyer has already worked out that Sunjic is a fraud. What a manager!! #bcfc
— Big Dave (@dave20581783) March 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/deanrudge279/status/1372278584438575109?s=20
Imagine being a football manager and setting the team up to win. Who’d have thought about this witchcraft!!! He’s an absolute kamikaze eh Lee Bowyer 😂 #bcfc
— Mark Williams (@MWFitnessPro) March 17, 2021
Oh to be inside St Andrew’s right now 😩. It would be rocking 💙⚽️ #BCFC #KRO
— Louise 💙 (@lou1875) March 17, 2021
Despite taking that early lead and the raptures of Birmingham City fans, it wasn’t to last.
It was back to level terms when Reading’s Yakou Miete (36′) scored in his second, consecutive game back after injury to net his 8th goal in 15 games for Reading this season.
