Manager Lee Bowyer wins huge praise for lashing out at the Birmingham City owners with his damning claim made earlier this week.
Not only has it been a “challenging” season for Bowyer but the Birmingham manager has now claimed the club’s owners are no longer answering his calls, leaving him concerned for the future.
He wants to discuss plans going forward after keeping Birmingham in the Championship under difficult circumstances but has so far hasn’t got any response back from those at the top of the West Midlands outfit.

Lee Bowyer wins huge praise for lashing out at Birmingham owners with damning claim
Bowyer, who took over in March, 2021 and has one year remaining on his contract, also claims he has been let down by a number of broken promises around recruitment and team-building this season.
In what was described to be a tense press conference following a 6-1 loss at Blackpool on Monday, Bowyer said that he was promised money to spend in the transfer market and told he could bring in his own staff, that he has yet to learn of the club’s plans for 2022-23, that potential summer transfers are already favouring other clubs, and the Birmingham owners have not been in touch recently or responded to his calls.
Bowyer usually reports with the club’s chairman, Wenqing Zhao. But the club’s complex ownership structure is preventing fans from knowing much about what is going on at the club, what are the intentions if any, what are the plans etc.
Lee Bowyer says #BCFC owners aren’t answering his calls and that he isn’t involved in forward-planning.
Claims he was “promised the world” (backing + funds to strengthen) but has been let down.
“I didn’t come here for my career to slide down. No way”https://t.co/RkKvYyell0
— Gregg Evans (@greggevans40) April 21, 2022
Bowyer said: “I have another year. I want to know what the plan is in the summer. How are we trying to avoid relegation?
“Are we just going to accept that as a football club or are we going to try to do something to make it go forward? I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m doing some of the crazy things I’ve had to do all season.
“I want to be at a club that wants to be successful. That does the right thing and moves forward. I have a career as well. I didn’t come here for my career to go from where it was to slide down. No way.
“I’m ambitious and I’m a winner. I don’t want to be left in the lurch and hung out to dry. Not a chance.
“I think I have the right to know what we are doing going forward. I’ve just given 18 months of hard work to keep this club in the division.”
“It’s not usual, is it?” he said on owners choosing to not respond to the manager.
“Last season when the owners wanted to speak to me then I was there, and now, it’s the other way around.
“I would had rather had the conversation yesterday. What are we going to do? Let the season drag out?
“Every other club in this division — I know for a fact — are speaking to players and lining up players and planning for months. It’s not happening here.
“If they (the owners) say there is no money, you have to bring in free players again and loans, then it is what it is. But give us the time now to try and get in front.
“The best free transfers are probably gone already. I know one off the top of my head. A centre-half who is a free transfer, done. They’re all going to go, but at the end of the day, it is what it is.”
He added: “For as long as I am here I will keep trying to do the right things, keep pushing the players the best I can, keep getting everything I can out of them as a group. I am not in control of decisions that are made upstairs but whatever happens, when it happens, I will keep doing the right thing.
“When that day comes I will know I have done everything that I said I would do from day one and I have stuck by my words and that’s important to me.
“I care about the club, that’s the reason I came. I care and I wanted to help and I have done that. I made us safe last year and we are safe again this year. Young players and the senior players are improving. So I would never say it was a mistake because I care about the club.”
“It’s been challenging,” he said on his experience with the Blues.
“Did I think it was going to be this challenging when I arrived? No.
“I arrived and was told that if you keep us up there will be money to spend, you’ll have backing and you can bring in your own staff and this, that and the other. The world was promised to me. Now it’s the complete opposite and it was the complete opposite in the summer.
“I see Chris Wilder going into Middlesbrough in January and they go bump, bump, bump with signings.
“I see other clubs signing players in January when they needed a boost.
“Maybe I’m gullible, but the reason I say when I leave this club, whenever I leave this club, is that I know I have done everything I said I would do.
“I can honestly say I have done that.”
‘I am not in control……nothing has changed from when I came through the door.’ The key sections of the Lee #Bowyer Press conference at #Birmingham City. #Blues #bcfc pic.twitter.com/k2bOyfCgrK
— Dan Pallett (@Dan_Pallett) April 21, 2022
As mentioned, Lee Bowyer wins huge praise for lashing out at Birmingham owners with a damning claim made…
@JoshColebatch: Been a Villa fan I don’t really care what’s going on at blues, but they shouldn’t be in this sort of situation. Glad Bowyer has came out and basically called out the owners BS.
@TRINIDANDY: Fair fucks to Bowyer. He seems more pissed off with the owners than us. I for one am happy he’s called them out. He’s trying to be organised but if your superiors can’t even be arsed to give him at least a call then can we really moan? Almost as if they don’t want to progress!
@Pedro_BCFC: I love that Bowyer is throwing the ownership and management under the bus. About time a head coach called them out for their mismanagement of the club #BSHLOUT #BCFC
@EdNeilHiggs: Bowyer has obvious shortcomings, but I’m glad he’s doing this. Man won us a cup, the owners are running us into the ground.
@Forzablues1875: The bowyer interview just confirms everything, what we the fans have basically known , I think he has made mistakes results show that but he has been dealt a very bad hand with no buy ins. The clubs owners are rotten and using our great club as a 60degree wash cycle . #BSHLOUT
@jamesnevillelee: Only a matter of time now… However, he is experiencing exactly what we as fans are – complete lack of communication and respect.
@BluesCollective: #BSHLOUT #TIMETOGOBSHL Do the right thing and sell the club.. FFS
@Swig202: I don’t understand the issue people have with this? Yeah he’s a limited manager but that doesn’t excuse these charlatans messing him around like they’ve done with previous managers. This is a terrible advertisement for potential future applicants #bcfc #BSHLOUT
@FreemanMatt: Seems the board have already decided Bowyer won’t be in charge come August, a case now of when not if. Do like the fact he’s called them out on broken promises though. Board mainly to blame for struggles but we have a squad good enough to be higher up in the table #bcfc
@brooka1875: I think this is what we’ve all thought. I get his honesty as I think it’s clear he’s gone. It feels all a bit shit on all parts. Departing could have been clean and quick. But more importantly for any prospective manager, why on earth would they join & who can they trust #bcfc
@matt_bcfc4: Fuck these owners, being run into the ground by clowns.
@kielawrence97: If there’s a lack of communication to our Manager, then what chance have our fans got? Astounded that Bowyer is being slated by fans for his honesty #bcfc
@steviej_bcfc: Lee Bowyer looked absolutely demoralised in that press conference. Fair play for opening up about the lies told by Board at the club, the broken promises as well as lack of contact. He deserves much better than us. Fact he has stuck to us for this long is amazing in itself #bcfc
@SHarrison94: If you’re a blues fan and you think its all bowyer’s fault he believed the lies. You’re the reason our club is gonna die #bcfc
@jbablues: #BCFC nothing surprises me about Lee Bowyer’s comments about the hierarchy at the Blues. He came to manage a football club not join a circus. The board take no notice of the fans. For christ sake I bought my season ticket never told I would not be able to sit in my seat!
@bobbyneil: Have to give Bowyer some credit for what he’s come out and said today. Not been his biggest fan over the last few weeks, but his honesty has swung me a bit back towards favouring him. #BCFC
@RichardTonry: Bowyer storming the directors box on Saturday demanding to be heard would be peak blues! #bcfc #answeryourphone #BSHLOUT
@Gary06634239: Fair play to bowyer for calling them out for what they are. Another issue just listening to Dan ivory, just wait until Mr King is arrested for his wrong doing. The brown stuff will hit the fan then
@Reggah1989: I’m with bowyer, don’t think anyone will do a good job with this current regime 🤦♂️
Bowyer has not been awful. The Blackpool game was awful, but he hasn’t been. You look at those players and half of them have been dead wood for years, collecting cheques. He tired to get new players in with no money, and players who are on a free are free for a reason #BCFC https://t.co/WK0gVmkJLH
— joe 🇨🇺 (@bxfcjxe) April 21, 2022

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