During his loan stint, Andre Dozzell has been dealt a few curveballs; how effectively he handles them could determine whether or not he stays with Birmingham City in the long run.
Since Tony Mowbray revealed he would be taking a temporary leave of absence due to health concerns five weeks ago, no Birmingham City player has suffered more than Andre Dozzell.
After scoring the game-winning goal against Blackburn and directing a masterclass in forward passing to lead Blues to a 2-1 victory over Sunderland, Dozzell had had an incredible week in the middle. During his farewell press conference, Mowbray expressed his admiration for Dozzell and hinted that he may be a top player.
“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.
