Alex Dicken’s notebook: Bielik drops transfer reveal as Rowett considers fringe Birmingham City ace

Krystian Bielik believes Gary Rowett is the perfect manager for Birmingham City’s relegation deciders - and revealed he almost joined the interim Blues boss at Millwall last year.

Poland international Bielik has been a mainstay in Rowett’s team and has helped Blues to back-to-back clean sheets since switching to centre-back. Rowett recently admitted he has tried to sign Bielik previously and the 26-year-old says he almost moved to Millwall instead of Blues last summer.

“I think he’s a very experienced manager,” said Bielik. “I remember having a chat with him when I was on holiday about going to Millwall. I was very close actually to going there.

“People from Derby know him and all told me good things about him. As a manager he is experienced and he knows what he is doing. He has been in this kind of situation that we are in now and he knows what to do to complete the challenge.

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“It’s good we have him. These last two games, I don’t know how it works with him and his contract about next season, but we have a job to do and I think he’s the perfect guy to achieve what we want to achieve.”

Rowett is the third interim manager Blues have had this season and sixth in total. His short-term tenure is due to end in the summer where Tony Mowbray is expected to return and lead Blues into the new season.

Bielik added: “I’m really enjoying the training sessions and enjoying him talking to us, explaining things, and I like him because he’s got that charisma that we need to boost the team before the games. He’s always on it. Because of him, we are always on it.

“I don’t know what more I can say. We all wish him all the best because he just wants good things for us players. This team deserves to be in a much better place than we are so let’s keep pushing.”

Will Rowett turn to Dembele?

One encouraging aspect of Saturday’s drab 0-0 draw with Rotherham United was the performance of Siriki Dembele as a second half substitute. Dembele has had limited involvement under Rowett and didn’t even make the squad for the 1-0 defeat to Cardiff recently.

But he impressed Rowett in training last week and was rewarded with just his second substitute appearance under the interim manager. Dembele’s display at Rotherham was considerably better than what he produced at Leicester earlier this month.

Rowett told the BBC: “We had good impact off the bench, I thought Dembs looked quite bright and a lot has been said about him. When he moves the ball like he does in those situations he can really open the game up.”

Will that be enough to earn Dembele a start at Huddersfield? Maybe not, but we know the 27-year-old has already ripped the Terriers to shreds once this season. Back in October, in what proved to be John Eustace’s penultimate game in charge, Dembele thrilled with a brace in a 4-1 win for Blues.

Merricks begins with a win

The new head coach of Blues Women, Amy Merricks, started with a 1-0 victory over Sheffield United on Sunday. Lily Agg's sixth goal of the season was enough to give Blues three points in front of a record 3,101 crowd at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.

Blues’ race is run in the Women’s Championship and they finish their campaign away to Durham next weekend. Merricks - who was appointed head coach after Blues parted ways with the popular Darren Carter - will be able to put her own stamp on the team in the summer ahead of an anticipated promotion tilt next term.

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