Summer of change is essential
10February 17, 2013 by Made In Brum
I may be jumping the gun slightly as Blues are still in the midst of a relegation scrap, but assuming they survive, a lot has to change in the summer. Whether you like Lee Clark or not, personally I’m undecided, it hasn’t worked for one reason or another.
It’s not entirely his fault, circumstances have been extremely difficult to work under, but he hasn’t helped his own cause. I don’t believe that there is a conspiracy with absolutely everything he says and does, so I’m basing this assessment purely on a football basis.
Over the course of the season I have taken a lot of flack for sticking up for the man that many Blues fans dislike. I’ve been watching closely and breaking everything down so it all makes more sense. Sometimes his decisions are baffling and I am never confident going into any game with him at the helm. Yes, Blues are in financial trouble and yes, the injury list has been freakish, but with the squad we have on paper I’m in no doubt what so ever that Birmingham City should be higher than 17th.
We are firmly out of the play off picture after yesterday’s defeat, if we were ever in it, so all that is left now is to avoid relegation. Winning just five games at home so far is unacceptable, St. Andrews used to be a place where teams feared coming, now opposition teams can’t wait for their Blues away fixture as it presents a good opportunity for three points.
With 19 players out of contract or returning to parent clubs in the summer, someone needs to pick up the pieces and rebuild Blues. With no cash available to spend as things stand, an astute and clever manager is needed to give us half a chance next season. So Lee Clark, please keep us up this season and then be on your way.
I’m not doubting that Clark has the potential to be a good manager, but this job isn’t for a boss whose learning his trade, we need someone to come in and pull no punches, turn this sinking ship around.
Someone asked me who I’d want as a manager so I had a think about it. In an ideal world I’d like to see how Uwe Rosler would do at a higher level, but that defeats the object as he is no more experienced than Clark. Would Owen Coyle be a good appointment? He won promotion with Burnley and then kept Bolton up before their eventual relegation, and he struggled in the Championship with them before getting sacked. But he has the ability. And dare I say it, what about Gary Megson? He certainly knows how to build a team.
It’s a hard choice for a hard job, but I think we’d be surprised at how many managers would want it, especially if we are taken over by new owners.
What if Clark is here next season? Well, I’ll get behind him as I always do. Whoever is the manager next season has a very difficult job but I feel that a summer of change is essential.
By Rob Wildey
Made In Brum 
I thought that you were putting together a sensible and reasoned blog until you mentioned Megson
By the by, not my ideal choice but could do worse
Why isn’t it entirely Lee CLarks fault? He inherited a squad that Chris Houghton achieved a play off spot with, a squad that any other year would of qualified for the knock out stages of the Europa League in normal circumstances considering our points tally, yet this Lee Clark who you defend, who has indeed spent money and STRENGTHENED our side with some very good championship players e.g Mullins, Ambrose and Lovenkrands! Clark is a massive Vagina, FACT!!!
Not the same squad at all. Beausejour played half of last season, Jordan Mutch was there too and Keith Fahey was on top of his game and skulking back to Eire on spurious compassionate grounds. In addition David Murphy was fully fit and knocking in a few goals and Stevie Carr played a decent number of games. By all means slag off Clark but please do it from a factual point of view and not some fantasy based idea of reality.
Who said it was the same squad?
Northfield did. ‘He inherited a squad that Hughton achieved a playoff spot with’. No he didn’t and anyone suggesting otherwise is being disingenious to serve their own argument for slagging off Clark. I am not a fan of Clarks either but he has had his hands tied behind his back. If the best we can afford on loan is a rookie striker from Bournemouth who has had a couple of failed loan spells at other clubs then it is hardly surprising that we are struggling. Or is that his fault too? Some people seem to be in denial that the club is on the verge of collapse and that replacing Clark will change all that. It changes nothing – the club will still be screwed with or without Clark.
Beausejour does not need to be mentioned, completely irrelevant. Hughton managed some fine results without him from January onwards.
It’s as silly as bringing Darren Purse into the argument.
We are a club in crisis it is as simple as that we are going the same way as Portsmouth are going because of our stupid owner it is upsetting to watch but we will have to put up with it untill this mess is sorted out but i have a feeling that come 3-4 years time wé will be back in the prem again
kro
Seriously can’t believe my fellow fans defending Clark… sad sad times!
If. If we stay up. You always felt players would run over broken glass for CH. Clark can’t even get them to run.
Yes, Murphy has been missed, but Hughton got us into the play-offs without Jean Beausejour or Stephen Carr. Morale seems shot, and Fortress Stans isn’t. The ‘crowd’ struggle to muster one or two KRO’s, and online it’s Bluenose v Bluenose after Clark’s latching on to the envy crowd who want to make a scapegoat out of Zigic.
At a ‘normal’ club, Clark would have been sacked by now, but we’re not a normal club, our board are in crisis themselves, and have effectively left the baby with the incompetent childminder.
Clark must go.