Tony Mowbray’s period of absence from Birmingham leaves interim boss Gary Rowett as Blues’ fourth manager of the season.

They are the first club since 2018 to have as many as four managers in an English Football League season and here, the PA news agency looks at their turbulent campaign and how it compares.

Tale of woe

Mowbray, 60, has been granted a leave of absence until the start of pre-season for medical reasons after undergoing surgery on an undisclosed issue last month, just eight games after taking charge.

His appointment came after Birmingham sacked Wayne Rooney, who in turn was only appointed in October in place of John Eustace.

Eustace’s sacking was controversial, having led the club to 17th place last season on 53 points – their highest total since 2016 – and then to sixth after 11 games of this term.

The club cited the need for “the board of directors and the football management (to be) fully aligned on the importance of implementing a winning mentality and a culture of ambition”, and appointed former Derby and DC United boss Rooney two days later – but his reign was a short and unhappy one.

The ex-England captain lasted just 15 games, winning two, before he was removed from his post and replaced by Mowbray.

The latter’s illness means Mark Venus has been in caretaker charge but Rowett, who managed the club between 2014 and 2016, has now been brought back in to steady the ship – with Blues above the relegation zone on goal difference alone and 15 places worse off than when Eustace was dismissed.

Revolving door

The last EFL club to employ four managers in a season were Barnet in 2017-18, when first Rossi Eames and then Mark McGhee were moved into other roles within the club – Eames as head of development and McGhee head of technical – and then Graham Westley lasted just two months, with Martin Allen finishing the season.

Watford, a club with a reputation for cycling through managers, were the last Championship team to employ four in a season in 2014-15.

Beppe Sannino was sacked, Oscar Garcia stepped down for health reasons after just four games, Billy McKinlay was appointed as his replacement but extraordinarily sacked after only two matches – a win and a draw – and Slavisa Jokanovic became the Hornets’ fourth manager in 37 days. The Serbian took Watford up to the Premier League but left in the close season.

In between times, Leyton Orient managed to get through five managers in the 2016-17 League Two season.

Andy Hessenthaler and Alberto Cavasin were sacked in September and November respectively, Andy Edwards left for a youth coaching job at the Football Association and Danny Webb lasted just two months, with Omer Riza closing out the season in an interim capacity similar to Rowett at Birmingham.

Former Birmingham manager Gary Rowett has returned to the club as interim boss after Tony Mowbray was granted extended medical leave.

Ex-Sunderland boss Mowbray succeeded Wayne Rooney at St Andrews in January, but a month later he temporarily stepped down from his role to undergo medical treatment, with a view to returning in approximately six to eight weeks.

But Mowbray will now be absent until the start of pre-season, paving the way for Rowett to return to the club where he had a two-year spell in charge between 2014 and 2016.

Rowett left his new club’s Championship relegation rivals Millwall in October and takes over a Blues side only outside the bottom three on goal difference with eight games remaining.

Mowbray played a role in Rowett’s appointment.

Birmingham co-owner and chairman of the board Tom Wagner said in a statement on the club website: “Based on Tony’s decision to take some additional time away, we agreed it is in the club’s best interests to appoint Gary Rowett to lead the team forward from the touchline for the final eight games of the season. 

“Gary is an experienced leader and has our full support.”

Assistant Mark Venus will also temporarily leave the club and return with Mowbray, while first-team coaches Ashley Cole and Peter Shuttleworth as well as goalkeeper coach Maik Taylor will remain in their positions.

Rowett will be on the touchline for Birmingham’s clash against fellow strugglers QPR next week.

Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick admitted Riley McGree’s stunning winner was good enough to win any game and was the “wow” moment from their 1-0 win at St. Andrew’s.

McGree’s 17th-minute goal was his sixth of the season and first since September, giving Boro their third straight win.

The Teessiders are up to ninth and five points off the final play-off position.

“I don’t think you expect that but it was a pure strike from Riley,” said Carrick.

“He’s capable of those moments and he’s had one or two of those ‘wow’ moments with goals he’s scored like that.

“It was a hell of a strike and fitting to win any game. He’s capable of that and, like some of the boys, capable of even better.

“I thought there were moments of real quality in the game and that was the standout one.

“Hopefully he’s coming into a real vein of form when we need him.”

McGree’s celebrations were muted out of respect to the club where he spent 15 months on loan across two seasons from October 2020 to the end of 2021.

“Knowing Riley it was down to that. He’s down to earth and humble and very respectful,” added Carrick.

“I didn’t realise that but if he didn’t celebrate, I can understand that.”

Carrick was non-committal on Boro’s hopes of making the top six, with Blackburn at home on Saturday.

“Let’s see where we go – we’ve had a good week,” he said.

“We were the only game so we knew we could make a bit of a jump, so we made the most of it.

“Just because we won doesn’t mean the next game is going to naturally end in a win. We need to start again and prepare for that.”

McGree lashed an unstoppable left-foot drive into the top corner from 25 yards after Alex Pritchard’s pass was easily cut out by Luke Ayling.

Birmingham have now gone five games without a win and are just a point above the relegation zone after losing their match in hand.

Interim manager Mark Venus admitted the absence of boss Tony Mowbray for medical treatment was being felt deeply.

“He’s making good progress and we can’t get him back quickly enough and hopefully he will be back in the future,” said Venus.

“We’ve missed him immensely and enormously. He’s a leader, a motivator and a driver and I think undoubtedly when you have someone like him at the front, you miss him.

“We have not got enough leaders in the club. But we have to work with what we’ve got and we have to do better and get through this.

“It’s a lack of quality that we all have to address.”

Riley McGree returned to haunt his old loan club Birmingham with a stunning goal as Middlesbrough won 1-0 at St. Andrew’s.

Attacking midfielder McGree, 25, put Boro ahead in the 17th minute after a mistake by Alex Pritchard in a game of few clear-cut chances.

The result heaps pressure on City, who have now gone five games without a win and are only out of the Sky Bet Championship relegation zone by a point after their match in hand.

City have not won since manager Tony Mowbray – a much-loved former Middlesbrough player and manager – has been away from his daily duties for medical treatment.

Both sets of fans chanted his name but Birmingham looked in need of the 60-year-old’s guidance as Boro made it three wins in a row.

Birmingham had the first chance when Pritchard attempted a 40-yard chip over goalkeeper Seny Dieng but his ambitious effort drifted wide.

Paddy McNair fired over a long-range rising effort for Middlesbrough after Emmanuel Latte Lath was denied from point-blank range by goalkeeper John Ruddy.

But a mistake by Pritchard led to Boro taking a 17th-minute lead.

The former Brentford and Sunderland midfielder’s pass was easily cut out by Luke Ayling. He found McGree, who lashed an unstoppable left-foot drive into the top corner of the net from 25 yards.

McGree, who spent 15 months on loan at Blues from October 2020 to the end of 2021, celebrated in understated fashion against his old club.

Things went from bad to worse for City two minutes later when centre-back Marc Roberts went off injured to be replaced by Cody Drameh.

Ayling tried to make it 2-0 after cutting inside and curling goalwards but his attempt was straight at Ruddy.

Pritchard sliced horribly wide on the angle as neither he nor Koji Miyoshi seemed to want to take responsibility to shoot.

If Birmingham’s struggles were not summed up by that lack of confidence, they were underlined when no one challenged Latte Lath from Lukas Engel’s throw-in and the striker fired just wide.

Matt Clarke sent a bullet header wide from a corner as the visitors continued to look the more dangerous side.

Birmingham replaced the out-of-sorts Miyoshi with Juninho Bacuna at half-time but they continued to look unconvincing.

There was a four-minute stoppage before the hour mark after referee Andy Davies went off injured, with fourth official Jeremy Simpson taking over the whistle.

The lively Latte Lath only just failed to get enough contact on an up-and-under, with the sliced effort flying over.

Mark Venus hopes Birmingham’s 1-1 draw at play-off-chasing Hull can act as “a springboard” in their battle against relegation.

Substitute Lukas Jutkiewicz’s late header cancelled out Ozan Tufan’s first-half goal to move Blues one point clear of the Sky Bet Championship drop zone.

Venus, still assisting for the unwell Tony Mowbray, said: “Hull are a very good team and they are, of course, not in the top six after 35 games for no good reason.

“But we stuck at it and kept going, which was great to see.

“They obviously had a lot of possession, which we expected, but we also caused them a few problems and I felt we deserved a point in the end.

“This now has to be a springboard for the rest of the season.”

Birmingham looked in big trouble when Tufan scored at the back post on 25 minutes after Fabio Carvalho’s corner was flicked on by Jacob Greaves.

Tufan’s final touch appeared to come off his left hand but the goal was given.

The Turkey international nearly doubled Hull’s lead after 40 minutes when his strike from distance was expertly pawed on to the left post by John Ruddy.

The hosts dominated for most of the second half, but they were obsessed by trying to score a perfect second goal when a more direct approach could have put the game out of sight.

And they were punished after 82 minutes when substitute Alex Pritchard sent over a lovely cross that was powerfully headed home by Jutkiewicz.

Venus said: “It (Tuzan’s goal) looks handball to me, but maybe the officials were not in a position to give it.

“I just feel, at the moment, that things are going a little bit against us in terms of decisions, but hopefully we can get a few more in our favour going forwards for the rest of the season.

“We’ve had some really tough fixtures that have stretched us to the limit so to come here and get something, in a game that teams in Hull’s position usually win, was great.

“We have to build on this now and move forwards, but we need everybody with us as we’ve got a big task ahead.”

Hull are unbeaten in six and remain in the play-offs, but head coach Liam Rosenior was unhappy that his players could not convert their superiority into more goals.

He said: “Some of the control, some of the areas we get into and the dominance – and we come away with a point? I’m very angry and frustrated.

“I keep saying the same things, but this has to be the last time I say them.

“We have to be more ruthless and we have to take advantage of our dominance.

“They didn’t have a sniff and we’ve just thrown away another two points – when Jutkiewicz came on we should have been 3-0 up.

The reason we play this way is to score, dominate and take the game away from the opposition – we have to grow up and understand where we are.”

Rosenior added: “The one-touch stuff is great but we’re here to score goals.

“This is on me – I’d never criticise individuals –but for us to get to where we want to be we have to all take responsibility.

“I’d say 95 per cent of our performance was magnificent but we didn’t finish it off and that’s the bit that makes the different in football.

“I love this group, but time is going to pass us by if we don’t learn lessons.

“Everyone can see the potential of this team, but we have turn the potential into reality.”

Birmingham secured an important point in their battle against relegation with a hard-earned 1-1 draw at play-off contenders Hull.

Ozan Tufan looked to have consigned Blues to a 13th away defeat when he headed home in the first half.

But Hull, still in the Sky Bet Championship play-offs and now unbeaten in six, were sloppy in front of goal and could not score the second which their dominance arguably warranted.

They were punished after 82 minutes through Lukas Jutkiewicz’s firm header which moved Birmingham, still without unwell manager Tony Mowbray, a point above the drop zone.

With the visitors clearly short of confidence – only Rotherham have a weaker Championship away record – Liam Rosenior’s men were, unsurprisingly, keen to seize control early on.

Fabio Carvalho’s smart hit was sharply deflected for a corner by Emanuel Aiwu, after which Jean Michael Seri warmed John Ruddy’s palms from distance on seven minutes.

But just when it felt like Hull would kick on, Birmingham came desperately close to opening the scoring just 60 seconds later.

Junior Bacuna too easily beat Ryan Giles on the right before crossing hard and low towards the near post.

Hull centre-back Jacob Greaves looked to have snubbed out the threat, but his sliding defensive block skewed inches wide of the right post.

The hosts were fleetingly knocked off their stride following that let-off, but they always looked a threat in possession and gradually retained a strong foothold into the game.

Mark Venus, however, will still have been most disappointed by the manner in which Blues conceded after 25 minutes.

Abdulkadir Omur’s fierce corner was flicked on by Greaves towards the far post, but Tufan was still given too much space to head home.

Turkey international Tufan came close to adding a second after 40 minutes when he let rip from the edge of penalty area following good work from Jaden Philogene.

The ball bounced awkwardly but Ruddy did brilliantly to palm the ball onto the base of the left post, with Carvalho a stud’s length away from scoring on the follow-up.

Hull largely bossed proceedings after the restart, but they were often guilty of overcomplicated build-up play when a direct approach would have been more beneficial.

No better was this illustrated than after 73 minutes when Philogene cashed in on a defensive mix-up but tried to score the perfect goal when a simple strike would have had Ruddy in big trouble.

But with Hull goalkeeper Ryan Allsop a virtual bystander, few inside the MKM Stadium would have bet against a home win.

That was until substitute Alex Pritchard whipped over a teasing cross from the right, with Jutkiewicz heading home from close range to earn Birmingham what could prove to be a huge point.

Birmingham manager Tony Mowbray will temporarily step down from his role to undergo medical treatment, the Sky Bet Championship club have announced.

Mowbray will be absent from the touchline for approximately six to eight weeks, with assistant manager Mark Venus taking charge of first-team affairs.

The 60-year-old said: “Following my recent LMA Health Assessment I have received a medical diagnosis that will require me to receive treatment.

“Undergoing treatment will necessitate that I temporarily step away from the technical area as manager of Birmingham City Football Club.

“Until I return, my assistant manager, Mark Venus, will take temporary charge of the team, supported by coaches Ashley Cole, Pete Shuttleworth and Maik Taylor. I will continue to provide advice and counsel while undergoing treatment.

“The club has been incredibly supportive of me and my family and we are very grateful. I know that everyone will be respectful of our privacy at this time.”

Birmingham have won four, lost three and drawn one of their eight games in all competitions since Mowbray was appointed in January following the departure of Wayne Rooney.

His last game in charge resulted in a 2-1 win over former club Sunderland, who sacked Mowbray in December.

Birmingham chief executive officer Garry Cook, said: “Our thoughts are with Tony, his wife Amber, and family.

“We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming Tony back to the club to continue the excellent work that he has started.”

Birmingham manager Tony Mowbray saluted an “amazing achievement” after his team made it two home wins in a week by coming from behind to beat Sunderland 2-1.

Koji Miyoshi grabbed an 80th-minute winner after Jordan James cancelled out Jack Clarke’s 22nd-minute lead on the hour.

It meant City have recorded their first back-to-back home successes since October and they have climbed to 15th, six points above the Sky Bet Championship drop zone.

“I’m very proud of the group and their desire and determination to work really hard for each other on the back of a landscape of where we are in the league,” said Mowbray.

“After not winning many home games this season, it’s an amazing achievement for them.”

Despite the gap, Mowbray refuses to accept City are safe.

“We’re in a predicament and we’re still in the same position after a couple of teams won,” he added.

“We’re still six points away from trouble but it’s given us a bit of confidence and momentum and the belief that we can win against anyone at home.

“This is what the team needs to know to have that confidence and belief in themselves.

“The team is fighting hard for each other but this was about the supporters and the players on the pitch.

“We gifted Sunderland the first goal but we found a way to score two goals.”

Several supporter incentives meant Birmingham were watched by 27,449 – the biggest crowd at St Andrew’s for more than seven years.

Mowbray said he used the home crowd to spur on the players as they took the game to Sunderland after a lacklustre first-half performance.

“The message at half-time was ‘we will score, and if we score one, this place will take off and we’ll score two or three’, they made it happen,” he added.

“Days like this with a full stadium against a good team with a big support following them show that we can come out on top and win, and we did that together.”

Clarke intercepted Seung-Ho Paik’s square pass to Marc Roberts then raced on to coolly slot past John Ruddy.

James equalised after Miyoshi had two shots blocked when Tyler Roberts’ angled drive had been parried by goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.

Miyoshi prodded home ahead of Patterson after reacting quickest to Jay Stansfield’s deflected cross.

Sunderland have not won on their travels since Boxing Day and are currently 10th, five points off the top six.

Their head coach Michael Beale admitted: “Unless we improve our away form it (play-offs) is going to be difficult.

“We have to find a way of getting positive away results because it’s nowhere good enough.

“We’re certainly not giving up on anything with the amount of games we’ve got to go.

“But our away form all season has been a concern.”

Tony Mowbray celebrated back-to-back home wins against his most recent former clubs after Birmingham came from behind to beat Sunderland 2-1.

Koji Miyoshi capped a magnificent comeback by City after Jordan James equalised on the hour to make it two home victories in five days after they beat Blackburn 1-0 on Tuesday night.

Jack Clarke gave Sunderland the lead in the 22nd minute with his 15th goal of the season as the Black Cats dominated the first half.

But it was a different story in the second half as Blues, watched by 27,449 – the biggest crowd at St Andrew’s for more than seven years when 29,656 saw a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa on October 30, 2016 – looked far hungrier.

Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham – making his first return to St Andrew’s since leaving in the summer – beat Cody Drameh on the left but his cross was blocked by the legs of goalkeeper John Ruddy.

Pierre Ekwah sent a rising drive over the bar then Mason Burstow seemed to have a golden chance to score when he latched on to Romaine Mundle’s deflected cross, but the ball hit his heel and sailed harmlessly over.

Mundle had the first on-target effort but his 25-yard drive arrowed straight at Ruddy.

Birmingham’s first chance was a blockbuster as Jay Stansfield crashed a full-blooded 25-yard volley goalwards only for goalkeeper Anthony Patterson to tip it over after Sunderland partly cleared a corner.

But the visitors’ bright start was rewarded when they took the lead.

Seung-Ho Paik’s square pass to Marc Roberts was easily intercepted by Clarke, who raced on to coolly slot past Ruddy into the bottom corner of the net.

Birmingham continued to give the ball away in dangerous situations and Paik was booked for catching Ekwah late, Bellingham curling over the resulting 20-yard free-kick.

Sunderland went close to a second goal in the 42nd minute.

Mundle got the wrong side of Krystian Bielik but his curling shot – aiming for the same corner of the net as Clarke did for the goal – was turned aside by Ruddy at full stretch.

Birmingham looked a different proposition after the break, however, and their improvement was rewarded with the equaliser on the hour.

Midfielder James slotted home after Miyoshi had two shots blocked – the first by Trai Hume on the line – after Tyler Roberts’ angled drive had been parried by Patterson.

Sunderland had the ball in the net again in the 68th minute – but any joy was short-lived as Burstow’s header from Clarke’s free-kick was ruled offside.

Birmingham’s revival was in full swing when Miyoshi put the hosts ahead with 10 minutes of normal time to go.

The Japan midfielder prodded home ahead of Patterson after reacting quickest to Stansfield’s deflected cross for his fifth goal of the season.

New Blackburn boss John Eustace made a losing return to St Andrew’s as his side were beaten 1-0 by former club Birmingham.

Andre Dozzell struck the only goal of the Sky Bet Championship contest in the 77th minute to end City’s 388-minute drought and reward their dominance.

Tony Mowbray’s side were good value for their first win in four matches, which saw them climb to within a point of 16th-placed Rovers.

Marc Roberts hit the post and his namesake Tyler also missed two one-on-one chances for the hosts.

Eustace, who watched Saturday’s 3-1 win at Stoke from the stands, was back in the familiar surroundings after his sacking as City head coach in October.

Birmingham’s former Rovers boss Mowbray did not get the chance to enjoy any pre-match pleasantries with 44-year-old Eustace as the City manager was forced to take a seat in the stands, banned for receiving three yellow cards.

Koji Miyoshi blotted his copybook when he sized up a shooting chance after a Blues corner was partly cleared, slicing horribly wide.

However the Japan attacking midfielder got his next involvement right, threading through Tyler Roberts – only for the striker to steer the ball wide when clean through with only goalkeeper Aynsley Pears to beat.

Roberts’ namesake Marc went even closer to breaking the deadlock in the 35th minute. The towering defender, lingering upfield following a corner, clipped the outside of the post with a glancing header from Miyoshi’s hanging cross.

Little had been seen of Sammie Szmodics until the 22-goal Blackburn marksman lifted a rising effort narrowly over the bar from the edge of the box.

Szmodics forced John Ruddy into his first save when he tried to catch the veteran keeper out with a quick first-time effort which the former Wolves man palmed around the post.

Birmingham then wasted two chances in quick succession. After Marc powered a header over from close range from Dozzell’s free-kick, Tyler Roberts skied high and wide from six yards out after Pears completely mishit a pass to leave him one-on-one.

The hosts lost their momentum and Mowbray made a double switch, bringing Juninho Bacuna and Siriki Dembele on for Paik Seung-ho and Miyoshi.

Dembele flashed a rising angled effort over the bar after Tyler Roberts teed him up deep inside the box.

Dozzell spared City’s blushes when he finally poked home 13 minutes from time.

The scrappy goal came after Dozzell and Adam Stansfield had shots blocked before Cody Drameh’s cross fell back into his path off Kyle McFadzean’s foot.

Tony Mowbray praised Birmingham after they “found a way” to edge a lively 2-1 win at Stoke.

The new boss stretched his unbeaten start to three games in all competitions as Blues rose to eight points above the relegation zone.

“I’m really pleased for the supporters behind the goal,” said Mowbray.

“It’s my first experience of the away support from Birmingham City and it was big and loud and noisy; it’s great that they could celebrate a win.

“We found a way today and that’s the important thing in football but we can’t play like we did in that second half every week because we won’t win many matches.”

Jay Stansfield opened the scoring inside 10 minutes as he rifled home his eighth league goal of the season.

The Potters responded positively to their early setback but struggled to convert their dominance into chances.

And the visitors capitalised shortly after the restart thanks to Juninho Bacuna’s exquisite free-kick from 25 yards.

Jordan Thompson halved the hosts’ arrears late on, but Birmingham held on for a vital victory.

“First half, the game plan was good and we looked like we could break away and score,” Mowbray added.

“That’s probably the best football that Stoke have played for a long time and Steven (Schumacher) deserves a lot of credit for that.

“They were good today and in the second half, we went into protection mode, but we managed to see it out.

“You can give your team organisation and structure and I thought we saw the game out well today against as good a Stoke team as I’ve seen.

“I like a lot of what we’ve got at this football club; I’ve just got to change the mentality a little bit.

“The vast majority of them are very humble and hard-working and it’s hurt them where they are, but we’re only here to win now.”

It was a frustrating afternoon for Stoke, whose five-match unbeaten start under Steven Schumacher came to an end.

Bae Jun-ho struck the bar, Michael Rose failed to convert from close-range and Ryan Mmaee missed a host of chances for the toothless Potters.

“It was disappointing to lose it and I don’t think we deserved to lose it,” said Schumacher.

“The performance was good bar a couple mistakes, but it’s two brilliant bits of quality that has decided the outcome.

“We got more in the dangerous areas than Birmingham did, but we didn’t make the most of it, so that’s disappointing.

“It’s important that we are creating chances; that wasn’t the case a few weeks ago, so now I need the lads to show their quality and composure.

“With the way we’ll play and the way we’ll get forward, they’ll get chances so now we’ve got to find a way to take them.

“I’ve got belief in the squad; the players have got quality but they’ve got to make the most of big opportunities.”

Birmingham manager Tony Mowbray said his substitutions changed the game after his side’s late FA Cup replay 2-1 win over Hull.

Mowbray made five changes just after the hour-mark and the substitutes made an immediate impact.

Jay Stansfield equalised in the 66th minute after Jason Lokilo had opened the scoring with his first Hull goal after 12 minutes.

Another of Mowbray’s substitutes, Koji Miyoshi, scored the winner in stoppage time to set up a fourth-round tie at Leicester.

“The substitutions undoubtedly changed the game with the quality they brought,” said Mowbray.

“My intention was always to provide energy so I was always going to make substitutions. The supporters will get used to that.

“Modern day football is why you have to have a squad, you don’t weaken your team by making substitutions, you freshen it up.

“You make sure the lads who aren’t starting know they have an important part to play in the match.

“You have to love the players and trust them, they have to know the gaffer’s on their side. You can’t just have 11, everyone has to be part of the team.”

“The lads who came on brought how we want to play and what we want to do, they got their rewards.”

Mowbray praised his side’s determination to win the game in stoppage time.

“There were lots of positives from the game and we got the job done,” he said.

“That’s two games on the bounce where we’ve got something late on.

“I saw a message at the training ground, ‘Keep Right On’ and that’s what we’ll do.

“We’ll go right to the end and see if we can get the benefits.”

Mowbray says Fulham can recall Stansfield from his loan at St Andrew’s, but feels the player wants to stay. Stansfield scored one and assisted the winner.

“There is a small, tight window for Fulham to recall him,” said Mowbray. “It hasn’t closed, but I get on well with Marco Silva and he’d tell me if there were any issues.

“I think the kid loves it here when I look him in the eye, there are other interested parties but I think he wants to stay, score goals and progress his career. He’s in a good place here.”

Hull manager Liam Rosenior says it is time his side stopped receiving praise for their performance without getting the result.

“I was proud of the young players and their performance. But we ran out of legs.

“I have to be so careful at the moment as we have injuries coming out of our ears and two players on AFCON duty,” said Rosenior.

“We also have an important game against Sunderland coming up on Friday.

“I have to manage the squad in the right way. We couldn’t fill the bench here. But, yet again, we’ve somehow managed to throw away a comfortable position and lose the game.

“It’s hard, I’m frustrated. I’m sick and tired of coming in after the game and saying ‘Well done, the performance was great, but we didn’t get the rewards’.

“This has to be the last time. It’s a watershed moment in our season, this result has summed up a lot of our games.

“But I don’t throw players under the bus,  but we have to knuckle down. We’ll come through this.”

A stoppage-time goal from Koji Miyoshi earned Birmingham a 2-1 win over Hull in their FA Cup third-round replay.

The result earned Tony Mowbray his first victory since taking over as manager at St Andrew’s following the sacking of Wayne Rooney.

Birmingham had to come back from a goal down to win the tie after Jason Lokilo’s first goal for Hull put them ahead after 12 minutes.

Mowbray made five substitutions just past the hour-mark and it was a move that changed the game.

Two of those substitutes scored, with Jay Stansfield equalising three minutes after coming on.

Both sides named differing line-ups for the tie, with Birmingham making seven changes from the weekend and Hull 11, presumably with Friday’s match against Sunderland in mind.

Birmingham threatened more in the opening minutes, with Keshi Anderson and Gary Gardner testing goalkeeper Matt Ingram.

However, it was Hull who opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a superbly executed move.

Billy Sharp, in his first start for Hull, made the most of a slip by Krystian Bielik and found James Furlong on the left. His cross was converted first time by Lokilo from eight yards.

The former Crystal Palace youngster made a summer move to Humberside from Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam.

Hull went in search of a second goal, but Greg Docherty’s long-range effort swung away from the target.

Birmingham sensed an equaliser and when Jordan James delivered a ball into the area, Romelle Donovan just failed to connect with it in front of goal.

Gardner’s overhead kick was met by Bielik six minutes before the break, but he headed wide of the target.

Blues goalkeeper John Ruddy kept his side’s deficit to one goal when he made an important save from Hull forward Tyrell Sellars-Fleming.

Jordan James responded for Mowbray’s side with an angled shot that flew just wide of the far post.

Mowbray’s raft of changes had an immediate effect as two substitutes combined to score the equaliser. Miyoshi’s shot was pushed out by Ingram, with Stansfield converting the rebound for his eighth goal of the season.

Siriki Dembele almost scored a second for Birmingham when he floated a long-range effort narrowly wide.

With extra-time looming, Miyoshi forced the ball home after being supplied by Stansfield to book a fourth-round trip to Leicester.

Substitute Jordan James rescued a 2-2 draw for Tony Mowbray’s Birmingham as the battle of the new managers ended all square with Luke Williams’ Swansea at St Andrew’s.

Harry Darling put the visitors ahead before Siriki Dembele quickly equalised only for Jamal Lowe to restore the Swans’ lead after the break before Wales international James drove home in the 95th minute.

Darling also hit the bar but Blues wasted several chances as the hosts ushered in the Mowbray era after Wayne Rooney’s departure.

Swansea, in former Notts County manager Williams’ second match in charge, are unbeaten in four, while Blues are now without a win in seven including the FA Cup.

Birmingham, showing five changes from the 3-0 defeat at Leeds, pressed from the kick-off and the lively Dembele created two half-chances.

Koji Miyoshi’s low attempt sailed narrowly wide from 16 yards, then the latter’s cross hit Matt Grimes to give Scott Hogan the chance to launch a spectacular overhead kick that flew straight at Carl Rushworth.

Blues went even closer to taking the lead in the 25th minute after Bashir Humphreys was dispossessed by Jay Stansfield.

From the on-loan Fulham forward’s cross, Dembele’s shot was blocked by Rushworth then Krystian Bielik’s follow-up was diverted away by a defender.

Swansea punished Blues to take a 36th-minute lead with their first serious effort on goal.

Defender Darling stole in unmarked to power home a bullet header from Josh Tymon’s corner.

But their advantage was short-lived as Dembele equalised with a fine solo goal on 38 minutes.

The left winger sprinted away from his marker before curling a low right-footed shot beyond Rushworth and into the far bottom corner of the net for his sixth goal of the season.

Birmingham ended the first half as they started it – on the attack. Stansfield’s fierce follow-up was deflected behind after Hogan got in front of Rushworth forcing him to drop Miyoshi’s curling attempt.

The hosts should have gone ahead within a minute of the restart.

The inspired Dembele darted clean through for a one-on-one with Rushworth who denied him, after Hogan flicked on Dion Sanderson’s pass.

Swansea almost scored again with two quick chances before regaining the lead.

Darling’s looping header from a deep free-kick crashed off the bar then goalkeeper John Ruddy blocked Lowe’s angled shot.

Lowe was not to be denied again though after getting ahead of Sanderson to poke home Tymon’s left-wing cross in the 59th minute for his sixth goal of the season.

Birmingham looked dead and buried after tailing off in the last half-hour but, out of nowhere, James produced a moment of magic when he drilled home from 25 yards after a short pass from fellow substitute Juninho Bacuna.

Jobe Bellingham notched a second-half winner as managerless Sunderland ended high-flying Leeds’ seven-game unbeaten run at the Stadium of Light.

The younger brother of Real Madrid and England superstar Jude scored the fourth goal of his fledgling career to eke out a 1-0 victory over Daniel Farke’s third-placed side, who slipped 10 points behind new EFL Championship leaders Ipswich.

It was a second win in two games for Sunderland caretaker Mike Dodds since the sacking of Tony Mowbray last week and the Black Cats – for whom Will Still is the favourite to take the reins on a permanent basis – remain sixth in the table.

Dodds made three changes to the side that started Saturday’s 2-1 win at home to West Brom, with Jenson Seelt, Abdoullah Ba and Alex Pritchard all added as Pierre Ekwah, Adil Aouchiche and Patrick Roberts dropped to the bench.

There was one enforced alteration to the Leeds team from Saturday’s 2-0 victory at Blackburn as Sam Byram missed out through injury and Djed Spence slotted in at left-back for his first start since joining on loan from Tottenham in the summer.

The visitors started brightly and had the first attempt of the night in the fourth minute when Crysencio Summerville’s inswinging free-kick from wide on the left had to be tipped behind for a corner by Anthony Patterson.

Leeds – enjoying the majority of the early possession – went close again in the 16th minute after working the ball towards Spence, who curled a low right-footed effort just wide from 20 yards out.

Having been on the back foot, Sunderland – largely inspired by Jack Clarke and Alex Pritchard – gained the upper hand as the half wore on and should have gone in ahead at the break.

Pritchard was desperately unlucky to see a 21st-minute strike from the angle of the box drift agonisingly wide of the far post.

Then on the half hour, the former Norwich and Huddersfield midfielder’s free-kick from wide on the left caused panic in the Leeds box before being scrambled clear.

Seconds later Illan Meslier made a sensational save when he dived full stretch to his left to claw out Seelt’s header following a Pritchard corner into the box.

Another Pritchard deliver in the 38th minute should have led to a Sunderland opener, but Bellingham sent a free header wide from six yards out.

The hosts continued to threaten after the interval and Niall Huggins forced another save from Meslier after Archie Gray’s headed clearance fell kindly to him on the edge of the box.

At the other end, Glen Kamara had a strike from edge of the box blocked by Patterson before Summerville tested the Sunderland keeper in the 72nd minute after a rapid counter-attack.

But Sunderland made the breakthrough in the 78th minute when 18-year-old Bellingham reacted sharply to nod a bouncing ball beyond Meslier from four yards out after Pritchard – stationed in the D outside the box – headed the ball back into the danger area following an attempted clearance by Pascal Struijk.