Temporary If Birmingham City can defeat Norwich City on the last day of the season, manager Gary Rowett thinks the team will have a very good chance of making it through.
The Blues have a reasonable chance of making it through even though they are in a less than ideal position going into the final matchday—22nd and one point from safety.
Only one point separates Plymouth Argyle and Rowett’s team, while Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday are two points below but still in the running. It’s not quite out of the question just yet, but three points are a necessary, and one of those three clubs will also need to lose.
Birmingham is playing high-flying Norwich City, so this won’t be one of their easier games. The Canaries are undoubtedly one of the league’s best teams right now, having only dropped one of their previous eight games. The club may decide to rest certain first team players in anticipation of the playoffs, even though they aren’t quite over the edge yet.
Currently in fifth place with 73 points, David Wagner’s team’s fate is in their own hands. They may rely on either Hull City or West Bromwich Albion making a mistake, but a single point would guarantee them a spot in the playoffs. As a result, they will want to give the Blues a difficult time and expect a solid performance.
Rowett gave a preview of the final day game to the Birmingham Mail, emphasizing that the game doesn’t end until the final whistle.
“Congratulations to the other teams if we win and they win as well; they have performed their duties just as we have.” What will be will be at that time, but if we win the game, I think there’s a very good chance we’ll stay in the division. We can only concentrate on and manage that.
“When I arrived, I was aware of the situation and had an option. As I’ve stated previously, the simplest and most prudent course of action for any management would be to decline to assume the risk of a short-term contract in which neither financial nor professional incentives are truly there. However, there are instances when you have to think outside yourself, and playing football might make that challenging.
“I still feel fortunate to be in this role. Although I would really like for that to end well on Saturday, you can never be sure in sports.
“In my circumstances, it would be quite simple to try to avoid responsibility, but I will always feel responsible. I will feel accountable if after eight games we still don’t have enough points. It seems like the appropriate course of action.
With some teams still trying to guarantee their spot in the Championship, it should be an anxious day at the bottom. Due to Plymouth’s stronger goal differential, anything less than a victory would probably send Birmingham down; Rowett will probably be informing his players of this.
Playing at home could assist them cross the line and is undoubtedly beneficial to their cause. Norwich, though, is a very well-prepared team and they won’t back down for this one.
We’ll find out the club’s fate before mid-afternoon, and it might or might not be the one that supporters are afraid of. They still have a chance to perform a last-day miracle, but given their season’s start, they really shouldn’t be in this situation.