Ivan Sunjic is refusing to use Birmingham City's managerial merry-go-round as an excuse - even if it has contributed to a 'very tough season'.
Blues have had three different managers and three interim bosses during a turbulent campaign. John Eustace lasted 11 league games before Knighthead fired him and hired Wayne Rooney who was sacked after nine defeats in 15 matches.
Tony Mowbray provided the rescue act but illness forced him to step aside in mid-February and Blues nosedived under his assistant Mark Venus. Ex-Blues manager Gary Rowett was re-appointed in late March with an eight-game mission to keep the team in the Championship and six points from a possible 15 have been secured.
"It’s been a very tough season," Sunjic reflected in an interview with Blues News. "To have four managers, it’s tough to deal with that. We need to be honest and realistic. It’s not a normal environment.
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"But it happened, so we have to get on with it. We don’t want excuses, we need to carry on and get the results we need. All the things around us are going in the right direction, as a team we need to show the same on the pitch."
Sunjic's own performances have suffered from the constant chopping and changing. The Croatian was a fixture in Eustace's XI before Rooney ripped up their trusted playbook. Mowbray found the occasional use for Sunjic in his midfield and even handed the 27-year-old the captaincy after being blown away by his commitment on the training ground.
But, to the surprise of some, Sunjic had to bide his time for a start under Rowett. He was drafted into the XI for Blues' game against Coventry on Saturday and scored his first goal in two years in a 3-0 win.
He added: "For me, if I play one minute or 90, I always do my best for that period I’m on the pitch. I think that’s how we all should be. If you’re honest, if you work hard, eventually the rewards will come. That’s how I see the game and that’s how I always try to play."
