EXCLUSIVE
Classy boss John Eustace refused to stick the knife into Birmingham City as their relegation from the Championship was confirmed, seven months after giving him the boot.
The move to replace him with Wayne Rooney in October, branded ‘the worst managerial decision in football history’, will be seen as a major landmark in club history as they drop into the third tier for the first time in 29 years.
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Birmingham went into the final day of the season with a glimmer of hope of survival under returning manager Gary Rowett, but a 1-0 victory at home over Norwich was still not enough as the other teams at risk also won - securing their safety and condemning the Blues to League One.
One of those clubs was Blackburn who, under new boss Eustace, beat recently-crowned league champions Leicester City 2-0 on the final day to beat the drop.
It all could have been so different for Birmingham, with the team sitting pretty up in sixth place when their new owners Knighthead Capital Management - which include NFL icon Tom Brady - decided to get rid of Eustace as manager and bring in England legend Rooney as his replacement.
But it all went sour very quickly, with the former striker winning just two of his 15 games in charge, which saw the side drop 14 places in the league before he was sacked.
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A month later, Tony Mowbray was brought in as his replacement, but after only a week on the job he was put on medical leave for health reasons.
Again club chiefs failed to act quickly, though, with Rowett eventually being appointed as interim manager a month after that, by which time there were only eight games of the season remaining.
Things improved with the former Blues boss back at the helm, ending the campaign with 11 points from a possible 24, but the damage was already done.
Eustace, meanwhile, was hired by Blackburn in February with the task of keeping Rovers in the division.
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He won just two of his 16 games in charge, but the points gained from nine draws meant they will be in the Championship next season.
The irony of going into Ewood Park and keeping Blackburn in the division, while the team that sacked him has gone down, has not been lost on anyone - and Eustace says he takes no pleasure in seeing his old club relegated.
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And the coach’s little Freudian slip during his post-match interview with talkSPORT perhaps shows how little time it’s taken for it all to go pear shaped at St Andrew's since his exit.
“My job is to come in and make sure Blackburn Rovers stayed in the league, that's all I was worried about,” Eustace said.
“Listen, I didn’t want Birmingham to go down, it’s a club very close to my heart and I’ve got some fantastic friends there and they have some fantastic players there as well.
“It’s a shame they’ve gone down, but all I was focussed on is keeping Birmingham in the league, sorry, Blackburn in the league.”
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Listening to Eustace’s comments after the game, it’s also clear to see that there is a mentality he instills in his players that Birmingham have been missing since his departure.
“I’m very proud of their efforts since I've been here,” he said about his Blackburn players.
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“With the highs and the lows, nobody got carried away with it. Previously, possibly, we would have been in ‘victim mode’, which people like to go into when things aren't going well.
“But we’ve got fighters in the dressing room and that's something I've really tried to get the boys to understand - we are fighters and not victims.
“It’s quite easy to feel sorry for yourself, things going on off the field and people doubting you, but not this group. I’m very proud of them.
“It was a huge effort from everyone, the squad of players we’ve got, to perform like they have done and get to 53 points is a sensational achievement, and the only way you do that is if you stay together and stay connected.
“I said from day one that I need the players, the staff and the fans to stay connected, and there was never any doubt from my side.
“Working with the players we’ve got here every day, they’re top players to work with and their level of commitment has been there.
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“In the end you get what you deserve, and we deserve to stay in the league.”
While Eustace took no joy from Birmingham's demise, one man did - former Aston Villa captain Gabby Agbonlahor, who arrived at talkSPORT Towers with a bottle of champagne to pop after their relegation was confirmed.
Football can be cruel.
Rowett himself challenged the Blues players to show they can get them promoted back to the Championship next season.
"There are some players that it would be great if they had the responsibility to say, 'I'm going to stay to get this club back into the Championship'," said Rowett, who will now leave the club as manager Tony Mowbray recovers from a health problem.
"I think sometimes it's easy for people to look at the exit door and look for the easy way out.
"Maybe that's something players need to look at.
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"Hopefully Tony comes back to get the club back into the Championship.
"It's going to be a great opportunity if they make the right steps and do it the right way, I believe."