#2 Zola’s first month – Oh dear!
It’s fair to say there was a certain amount of shock when Gary Rowett was removed from his position as Birmingham City manager in the middle of last month.
However, the speed with which the Blues board got Gianfranco Zola in (under 6 hours from sacking to hiring), suggested that this was already a done deal before the previous manager was relieved of his duties.
So how has the new man done so far?
Well, when Rowett was sacked, the team were lying 8th in the table and had won 3 of the previous 5 games. Fast forward 5 games (including one FA cup tie played last weekend) and the Blues are still looking for that first win under the Italian, having lost 3 and drawn 2. They now lie 13th. Not the ideal start to the Italian’s tenure with the Midland’s club.
So what’s next for the Blues?
Their next 3 league games all look winnable on paper. A home game against struggling Nottingham Forest, then away fixtures at relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers and out-of-form Norwich City offer some chance to rekindle hopes of a playoff place.
Zola believes a victory is all that’s needed to kick-start their campaign:
“I am now more optimistic. The players are now starting to understand more what we are trying to do.
"A win would be massive. You can do good things on the pitch but you need to win. Without confidence, you can't do anything."
How long will the fans have to wait for their first victory under the Chelsea Legend?
