Steve Bruce makes “ideal manager” claim on Lee Bowyer ahead of Birmingham City clash

West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Bruce believes Birmingham City counterpart Lee Bowyer is the ideal boss for the Blues’ DNA, speaking to the Baggies’ media team ahead of tomorrow afternoon’s clash.

The Blues have endured another underwhelming season despite making a positive start to the campaign, even managing to climb up to fourth spot in September following a 2-0 victory over Derby County as they looked set for a much brighter campaign.

Even a clearly-defined system and their shrewd recruitment strategy hasn’t been enough to elevate them into a much better position, though they currently sit more comfortably away from the relegation zone than they were at the time of his arrival last March.

These factors are enough for many Birmingham fans to trust the former midfielder to lead the West Midlands outfit into the 2022/23 campaign, though some aren’t as happy considering their decline after a bright beginning to their current season.

In the end, it could be this final set of games before the end of this term that could determine the 45-year-old’s future at St Andrew’s, with the Blues’ boss thought to have been under pressure in January following a poor run of form.

But Bruce has endorsed Bowyer as the perfect man to embody the club’s identity as he spoke about his opponents coming up tomorrow afternoon.

He said: “It’s in Birmingham’s DNA a little bit to be so hard-working and so willing to fight for everything on the pitch.

“The supporters demand that. In Lee Bowyer they have the ideal manager to go and give them all of that.”

The Verdict:

The Blues need that identity to remain prevalent to give them a real sense of purpose and direction, so having Bowyer at the helm could be fruitful for the long term if they can