5 managers Birmingham City must consider appointing if they stay in the Championship | OneFootball

Birmingham City face something of a battle to retain their Championship status for next season.

The Blues currently find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle, that could go all the way down to the final day of the campaign.

At the moment, Gary Rowett is in interim charge at St Andrew's, having returned to the club last month.

That came after Tony Mowbray had been forced to step back from his managerial role with the club for health reasons earlier in the year.

While it has been suggested previously that the 60-year-old will return to his job from the start of next season, he will have to prioritise his health.

If that means he elects not to return to the role, Birmingham will have to find another option to take charge at St Andrew's.

So with that in mind, we've taken a look at five managers the Blues may want to target this summer if they manage to stay in the Championship, right here.

Danny Rohl

If Birmingham do stay up, one team it could be at the expense of is Sheffield Wednesday, although that does not mean they should rule out considering a move for Owls boss Danny Rohl.

The fact that Wednesday even have a chance of staying up is a remarkable testament to the job the German has done since taking charge at Hillsborough, given the incredibly perilous position they were in when he took charge.

That does suggest he could enjoy considerable success with a full season in the Championship. As a result, Birmingham may want to consider a move for Rohl if they stay up and Wednesday go down, especially since it may turn into a coup, given he has already been linked with other Championship clubs.

Alex Neil

Neil has been out of work since leaving Stoke earlier this season, and while things didn't end perfectly for the Scotsman in the Potteries, he could still be well worth considering.

He has previously won promotions in the Football League with both Norwich City and Sunderland, while his Preston North End side were always consistently solid Championship performers, and it could be argued that Stoke's scattergun recruitment approach last summer did not help him.

As a result, there is a good chance that Neil could be a more reliable appointment for Birmingham, and one who could be quick to appoint and easy to afford given he is currently without a job.

Steve Cooper

Another out of work manager who could be well worth looking into for the Blues is Steve Cooper.

The Welshman left Nottingham Forest earlier in the season, and was still a popular figure at The City Ground at that point, which does speak well to the sort of mood he might be able to instill around St Andrew's.

Indeed, his record in the Championship Swansea City and Forest also speaks well to what he might be able to do at this level with a team such as Birmingham, which could make this a welcome statement of intent in the eyes of supporters.

Michael Skubala

Looking into League One, and Lincoln City manager Michael Skubala is another who could be a smart appointment for Birmingham.

The 41-year-old left his role with Leeds' academy earlier this season to take on his first managerial role with the Imps. Since then, he has immediately turned them from relegation candidates into play-off contenders.

That sort of impact could suit the Blues nicely given the ambitions they will have going forward, and Skubala himself may fancy a go in the Championship, if Lincoln miss out on promotion this season.

Gary Rowett

Of course, another option for Birmingham may be to give Rowett the role on a permanent basis. If he does keep them in the Championship, he will have done an impressive job with the Blues given the poor form and precarious positions they have found themselves in.

That could give them confidence he can be the man to take the club forward, and the fact he knows the club well from his previous spell in charge may also enhance his case when it comes to a potential long-term appointment.

Rowett is an experienced manager at this level who has managed to keep several clubs competitive in the division. Included in that are Birmingham themselves, who often challenged for the top six during his previous spell in charge. That too could tempt the Blues' hierarchy to consider a longer-term deal for Rowett, should they be forced to consider such an appointment.