This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2014/nov/02/birmingham-city-gary-rowett-defensive-wolves

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Birmingham City’s Gary Rowett goes on the defensive in encouraging start Birmingham City’s Gary Rowett goes on the defensive in encouraging start
(about 3 hours later)
Gary Rowett was on a hiding to something at Molineux. If Birmingham City, in his first match in charge, lost 7-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers, he could point to improvement after their 8-0 home defeat by Bournemouth the previous Saturday. A goalless draw, well earned, was a stabilising triumph.Gary Rowett was on a hiding to something at Molineux. If Birmingham City, in his first match in charge, lost 7-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers, he could point to improvement after their 8-0 home defeat by Bournemouth the previous Saturday. A goalless draw, well earned, was a stabilising triumph.
Birmingham need stability. The Carson Yeung regime has taken them from the Premier League four seasons ago to the lower reaches of the Championship. In May they avoided relegation to League One with a goal in the 93rd minute of the final match. They are below the dotted line again. Crowds at St Andrew’s have fallen from 19,000 to 14,500. They have seen one league win there in 25 games and 13 months.Birmingham need stability. The Carson Yeung regime has taken them from the Premier League four seasons ago to the lower reaches of the Championship. In May they avoided relegation to League One with a goal in the 93rd minute of the final match. They are below the dotted line again. Crowds at St Andrew’s have fallen from 19,000 to 14,500. They have seen one league win there in 25 games and 13 months.
Why, then, would a man of sound mind and solid backing at Burton Albion, who values “shape and structure” on the field, move to a club where there are shambles and noodles off it – out of the cherry bowl into the wok? He had taken the Brewers to the League Two play-offs in both his full seasons there, left them in third place a week ago and turned down other offers, most recently Blackpool. That at least enabled Lee Clark, the man he replaces, to move to Bloomfield Road in this managerial game of musical frying pans. Why, then, would a man of sound mind and solid backing at Burton Albion, who values “shape and structure” on the field, move to a club where there are shambles and noodles off it – out of the cherry bowl into the wok? He had taken the Brewers to the League Two play-offs in both his full seasons there, left them in third place a week ago and turned down other offers, most recently Blackpool. That at least enabled Lee Clark, the man he replaces, to move to Bloomfield Road in the managerial game of musical frying pans.
The answer with Rowett lies in loyalty, affection and ambition. Born in Bromsgrove, 25 miles from Birmingham, he enjoyed two memorable seasons with City as a tidy defender, building bonds he has retained. He returns at 40 with a backroom team of former Blues – Kevin Summerfield (assistant), Mark Sale (coach) and Kevin Poole (goalkeeping coach). They will be warmly greeted tomorrow when Watford, thriving on the same manager for four matches running, are top-of-the-table visitors. The answer with Rowett lies in loyalty, affection and ambition. Born in Bromsgrove, 25 miles from Birmingham, he enjoyed two memorable seasons with City as a tidy defender, building bonds he has retained. He returns at 40 with a backroom team of former Blues – Kevin Summerfield (assistant), Mark Sale (coach) and Kevin Poole (goalkeeping coach). They will be warmly greeted on Tuesday when Watford, thriving on the same manager for four matches running, are top-of-the-table visitors.
Rowett will test Watford’s patience and ingenuity. “I hope to kill football all the way to the end of the season,” he said by way of introducing himself cheerily after the lunchtime match. “Any successful team needs a solid base, so most of our focus has been on that defensive shape and a bit of structure.” Making four changes, he played 4-1-4-1 with Stephen Gleeson in front of a back four that had Michael Morrison, his new loanee from Charlton, and Paul Robinson, 36 next month and 5ft 9in, in central defence. “They blocked when they had to block,” Rowett said.Rowett will test Watford’s patience and ingenuity. “I hope to kill football all the way to the end of the season,” he said by way of introducing himself cheerily after the lunchtime match. “Any successful team needs a solid base, so most of our focus has been on that defensive shape and a bit of structure.” Making four changes, he played 4-1-4-1 with Stephen Gleeson in front of a back four that had Michael Morrison, his new loanee from Charlton, and Paul Robinson, 36 next month and 5ft 9in, in central defence. “They blocked when they had to block,” Rowett said.
“When you come to a place like Molineux and they have Bakary Sako and David Edwards to put on the pitch and there is space, they are going to hurt you.” It helped that for the first game in four they finished with 11 men. There were near misses as crosses fizzed past stretching legs at the far post but Darren Randolph had only one dramatic save to make. Having pushed out Sako’s cross, he rose from the ground to tip over Edwards’ follow-up from close range.“When you come to a place like Molineux and they have Bakary Sako and David Edwards to put on the pitch and there is space, they are going to hurt you.” It helped that for the first game in four they finished with 11 men. There were near misses as crosses fizzed past stretching legs at the far post but Darren Randolph had only one dramatic save to make. Having pushed out Sako’s cross, he rose from the ground to tip over Edwards’ follow-up from close range.
Kenny Jackett, Wolves’ head coach, giving credit where it was due, said: “We came up against an organised, stubborn rearguard and didn’t have a cutting edge in the final third. It was up to us as home team to break them down. We had a lot of the ball but couldn’t find the gaps and needed to be more explosive.” He might have said that in their orange and black they showed as much wit as pumpkins the morning after the night before.Kenny Jackett, Wolves’ head coach, giving credit where it was due, said: “We came up against an organised, stubborn rearguard and didn’t have a cutting edge in the final third. It was up to us as home team to break them down. We had a lot of the ball but couldn’t find the gaps and needed to be more explosive.” He might have said that in their orange and black they showed as much wit as pumpkins the morning after the night before.
On the hour only Carl Ikeme’s parry to Jonathan Grounds’ close-range header at a corner kept Wolves level. It was also easy to believe that David Cotterill had delivered more scoring chances (50) this season than anyone in the division. But City have only 12 goals to their name. On the hour only Carl Ikeme’s parry to Jonathan Grounds’ close-range header at a corner kept Wolves level. And David Cotterill’s wide service also threatened; he had delivered more scoring chances (50) this season than anyone in the division. But City have only 12 goals.
Rowett hoped their 2,431 fans “accepted the defensiveness”. What was unacceptable, with fit and wounded members of the armed services on the pitch before kick-off for Molineux’s last match before 11 November, was the jeering with which some of those fans quickly interrupted a minute’s silence. When Wolves’ shushing then booing could not stop it, the bugler jumped in early with the Last Post. But a moment to remember had become a moment impossible to forget. City have a long way to go to restore respect. Rowett hoped their 2,431 fans “accepted the defensiveness”. What was unacceptable, with fit and wounded members of the armed services on the pitch before kick-off for Molineux’s last match before 11 November, was the jeering with which some of those fans quickly interrupted a minute’s silence. When Wolves’ shushing then booing could not stop it, the bugler jumped in early with the Last Post. But a moment to remember had become a moment impossible to forget. City have a long way to go to restore respect off the field.