Gary Rowett is only too aware how important Birmingham City’s clash with Huddersfield Town is next weekend.
Blues dropped back into the bottom three on Sunday courtesy of Sheffield Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Blackburn Rovers. Now 22nd, Blues face the team directly below them in the Championship table in their penultimate game of the season.
A victory for Blues would relegate Huddersfield before the final day and give their chances of staying in the Championship a huge boost. There is, however, also a scenario where Blues could be relegated if they lose to the Terriers and other results go against them.
“I don’t think you can get even bigger at this stage of the season,” Rowett said after watching his team draw 0-0 with already relegated Rotherham. “Every game is massive. Every game is one where you feel like you don’t want to waste an opportunity.
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“Try and win the next game, it’s as simple as that. We need to look at where we could have done better (against Rotherham). Next week will be a different game again. You have just got to find bits of quality and bravery to play around a team that shows physicality.”
Rowett is vastly experienced having spent the last decade in the Championship and this isn’t his first relegation rodeo. Blues have taken seven points from his six matches at the helm and he is determined to get the club over the finishing line.
Rowett added: “I will do what I have done for the last 500 games of my managerial career. You have to pick apart what you need to do better and work incredibly hard on getting things right. You can’t just wave a magic wand and find a winning solution, we’ve got to keep working.
“Four points from two games and two clean sheets, normally you would say that’s not too bad, but at this stage every game feels like a must win game.”
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