Birmingham City appointed Lee Bowyer as manager in March last year, and have sinced slowly improved on their league position.
The Blues currently sit 18th in the Championship table, 16 points clear of the relegation zone after 34 games played. They are undergoing an inconsistent run at present, picking up just five points from their last six league games.
Birmingham were in a relegation dogfight when Bowyer replaced the underwhelming Aitor Karanka last season, however the former Charlton Athletic man steered them well clear of any looming danger.
Performances still remain overly disappointing for supporters this time around, but they’ll also be thankful to be largely seperated from the bottom three positions.
So how do the Englishman’s stats in charge of the Blues compare to those of his predecessors?
Bowyer became Birmingham’s 13th manager in the last decade when he took over towards the end of last season.
He currently boasts a win record of 32.6% since being at the helm, a record unbeaten by any permanent manager since Gary Rowett between 2014-16 (39.6%).
Karanka left St. Andrews with a 21.1% record, Pep Clotet with 27.7%, Garry Monk with 32.2% and Steve Cotterill with 25.9%. Although Bowyer has had less time than some of his predecessors, it seems they are undergoing a slow improvement from previous regimes.
Over the past five seasons, the Blues have consistently finished between 17th and 20th place in the second tier. This often leaves them well clear of the relegation zone, but having went through another underwhelming campaign. It looks as though Birmingham are set for another similar finish, with inconsistency often getting in the way of a rise up the table.
The highest position fans have seen their team placed in the last ten years was fourth, which came in a remarkable 2011/12 season. Under the rule of the current owners, however, it looks as though Bowyer may struggle to get anywhere near there in the coming years.
