Responding for the first time to reports suggesting he could replace Mick Beale in the Rangers dugout, Birmingham City manager John Eustace insisted that he was ‘not interested in any other job’ other than the one he is currently contracted to at St Andrew’s.
And that lack of ‘interest’ could quickly turn mutual if Birmingham’s recent dip in form turns into a rapid-fire slide down the Championship table.
Eustace’s side started the season with four wins out of five in all competitions. Since August 29th, however, there has been three defeats in four, another loss coming away at surprise pacesetters Preston North End on Tuesday night.
Rangers reportedly eye Birmingham coach John Eustace
Eustace, one of the brightest young coaches in British football, is not letting concerns creep in, however. Birmingham, he argues, deserved more from their visit to Deepdale.
But as Beale knows all too well – sections of the Rangers support turning on Steven Gerrard’s old assistant following that 1-0 defeat to Old Firm rivals Celtic – encouraging performances pale in comparison to the importance of results.
“I thought we were excellent tonight,” Eustace sighs, Jay Stansfield’s superb opener counting for nothing following a Preston fightback (Birmingham Mail).
“We played some fantastic football. Tonight, we knew we would be able to play football against a good Preston team, and (we) dominated with and without the ball.
“I’m obviously very disappointed with the two goals that we conceded.”
Mick Beale under pressure at Ibrox
In truth, a blip like this was to be expected. Form is fleeting, after all, and this merely feels like a regression to the mean after a team who finished 17th last season came flying out of the blocks.
Those early wins exciting, yes, but sustainable? Perhaps not.
What’s more, defeats away from home at a good Watford outfit and league leaders Preston are hardly cause for panic. Eustace deserves massive credit for the job he has done in very testing circumstances at Birmingham, and reports from the Daily Mail suggesting that Rangers had identified the 43-year-old as a potential Beale replacement is testament to the potential and the vision of a coach ex-Ibrox boss Mark Warburton tipped to have an ‘outstanding future in the game’.
