Back in Blue
Birmingham City have confirmed John Eustace’s backroom team following the 42-year-old’s appointment at St Andrew’s. Eustace arrives from Queen’s Park Rangers and replaces Lee Bowyer who was in charge at Blues for 16 months.
He brings with him Matt Gardiner, with whom he worked at both Loftus Road and in his first management spell at Kidderminster Harriers. The 48-year-old had a lower league playing career, a spell as part of the management team at Worcester City and was with Eustace at Aggborough before spending four years a coach at QPR.
Gardiner will be Eustace’s joint assistant head coach, alongside Keith Downing who returns to the West Midlands having previously played for Blues in the early 1990s and having spent eight years as a coach at West Bromwich Albion.
He has also worked in the England age group set-up, with whom he won the U19 European Championships in 2017 with a side that included Chelsea’s Mason Mount and Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. Last season the 56-year-old helped Steven Schumacher at Plymouth Argyle.
However, a name more familiar to Blues fans is that of Maik Taylor who following the departure of Andy Marshall has become Eustace’s goalkeeper coach.
The 50-year-old became a fan favourite during his eight-year spell at the club, where he made 242 appearances. Taylor was appointed Walsall’s goalkeeper coach in 2019, having previously occupied the same role for the Northern Ireland national team and in a short-term spell with Bradford City.
Birmingham City have made an approach to sign Angers left-back Souleyman Doumbia, according to reports in France.
The 25-year-old has been first-choice for the Ligue 1 side for the last two seasons and operated as a wing-back last term. Doumbia
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