The Sunderland view on Tony Mowbray is really exciting for Birmingham City
Latest Birmingham City news from BirminghamLive includes the Sunderland view on new manager Tony Mowbray
by Alex Dicken, https://www.facebook.com/alexdickenjournalist/?fref=ts · Birmingham LiveThe outpouring of affection for Tony Mowbray from his former club Sunderland’s supporters bodes well for Birmingham City.
Mowbray’s stay at the Stadium of Light might only have lasted 15 months, but the 60-year-old certainly left his mark. The newly-promoted Black Cats unexpectedly finished inside the Championship play-off places last term, losing out over two legs to eventual promotion winners Luton Town.
They were on course to challenge the top-six again this season before Sunderland’s top brass pulled the plug on Mowbray’s tenure at the beginning of December.
His Sunderland record reads: 65 matches, 26 wins, 18 draws, 21 defeats. No wonder his departure infuriated their fanbase.
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James Hunter, who covers the Black Cats for ChronicleLive, explained: “Sunderland had a little bit of a bumpy run - they had won two in nine - but they were just outside the play-offs, and they were ahead of where they were at the same stage last season, when they finished sixth. There was absolutely no movement amongst fans to say this guy has taken us as far as he can.
“It did come as a complete shock. People could sense his frustration from his last press conference, but that was a frustration with the model, nobody thought that was going to spell the end for Tony.
“He had done so well and he was so popular. In Michael Beale’s very first game against Coventry, the fans were chanting Beale’s name in the first minute, but when things started to go wrong and they fell a couple of goals behind they were chanting Tony Mowbray’s name in the second half.
“Any thoughts that his time was up at Sunderland were put to rest there and then. The fans still like him now.”
Sunderland’s loss is very much Blues’ gain. For the first time in a while, Blues have a manager with a proven track record in the Championship.
Mowbray has never finished below 16th in the second tier and won the division back in 2008 when he was the manager of West Bromwich Albion. In addition to Sunderland’s sixth-placed finish, Mowbray guided Blackburn Rovers to eighth in his final season at Ewood Park in 2021/22.
His experience and knowledge of the Championship undoubtedly attracted Blues’ hierarchy to him. But his expansive, possession-based style of play and his ability to nurture talented youngsters also swayed owner Tom Wagner and chief executive Garry Cook.
Knighthead want Blues to dominate the ball and Mowbray has a history of creating teams capable of doing that. Sunderland averaged 59.7 percent in their 19 league games under Mowbray this season. Contrast that with the 41.4 percent of the ball Blues averaged across Rooney’s 15 matches in charge.
Interestingly, Sunderland’s best result this season - a 5-0 win over Southampton at the Stadium of Light - saw them have just 31 percent of possession. That shows Mowbray’s style of play is adaptable.
Hunter said: “The football that was played here before him under Alex Neil was good, and people weren’t complaining about it, but Tony really lifted Sunderland a notch and made them ever so attractive to watch. People used to talk not just about the results he was getting, but the style with which he was getting them, particularly because throughout his time at Sunderland they either didn’t have strikers available, or had people injured and what not.
“He had to find a way to get goals out of a team that didn’t have strikers available. He managed to do that and play attractive football. Clubs like Sunderland - and I’m sure Birmingham too - the fans want to enjoy their football, and Tony brought that.”
Only Burnley, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough scored more goals in the Championship than Sunderland last season. Mowbray's West Brom side scored 19 more goals than any other team when they romped to the title 16 years ago. His track record suggests we are going to be entertained.