Andre Dozzell has been thrown a few curveballs during his loan spell, his long-term future at Birmingham City may depend on how well he reacts to them
No Birmingham City player has suffered more than Andre Dozzell in the past five weeks since Tony Mowbray announced that he would be stepping away temporarily for health reasons.
Dozzell had just enjoyed a stellar week in Blues’ midfield with the winning goal against Blackburn and a masterclass in forward passing to orchestrate the 2-1 triumph over Sunderland. In his final press conference, Mowbray heaped praise on Dozzell, suggesting he has the ability to play at the highest level.
“I don’t want him playing safe back to central defenders, but he’s a young boy who I think has the talent to play in the Premier League,” Mowbray stated. You are the player in the midfield who possesses elegance and quality; don’t send the ball back to them because they usually want to head it and kick it out.
He is talented, has a lot of room for growth, and has a sweet disposition that inspires improvement. We are attempting to collaborate with him in order to give him the impression that he is an extremely important component of our goal.
Nevertheless, Dozzell hasn’t improved upon those encouraging early performances since Mowbray’s departure. Under Mark Venus, who started and replaced Dozzell in his first three games as temporary manager, the messages remained the same.
Dozzell was recalled for Middlesbrough after being taken off the firing line for rough and ready Millwall. Venus hooked Dozzell at halftime after an unsuccessful forty-five minutes, and he wasn’t deployed against Watford the following week.
A player signed to change the Blues’ style of play and desired by Mowbray and Venus for five years has fallen short in the grind of a relegation battle. We are now excited to see how Gary Rowett, the new interim manager, will use him.
Ivan Sunjic, Krystian Bielik, Gary Gardner, Paik Seung-ho, and Jordan James are perhaps more appropriate options for Rowett if he wants fighters in his midfield. Dozzell has demonstrated that he can unlock teams with cutting forward passes if he can make room for an artist.
Of course, Dozzell is just a loan player, but it’s likely that B9 is where he will spend the majority of his career. BirminghamLive is aware that, should everything go according to plan, the Dozzell arrangement is intended to be permanent.
That plan did not include Venus’s decision to step down, Mowbray’s extended absence, or relegation to League One. Dozzell has been dealt a few curveballs, and how he handles them going forward may determine whether or not he stays with the Blues in the long run.
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