It's that time of year when newspapers become dominated by transfer rumours, and anyone and everyone is being linked with a move away from their club side.But for Birmingham City, their key man is being linked with a move to Derby County, and it’s not a player. Manager Gary Rowett is on the Rams’ radar for quite possibly the third time now, and some Blues fans are questioning whether it just a matter of time before he makes the move to the iPro.But, he's never implied he is set to leave St Andrew’s, and Blues fans will be hoping their manager stays in B9 for many years to come. But just why is it so important to keep Gary Rowett?Continuity is one of the biggest reasons the Blues faithful want him to stay. Since Lee Clark left back in 2014, Rowett has instilled an element of calmness at Birmingham. When he took over, they were 23rd in the Championship and the supporters were growing increasingly frustrated with everything that was happening at their club.Ownership issues have plagued the club ever since Hong Kong based businessman Carson Yeung took over back in 2009. A £50m transfer kitty was promised, yet fast forward a number of years and Yeung finds himself in prison on money-laundering charges.So when Rowett came in, settled the ship and brought back respectable football to St Andrew’s, Blues fans had a lot to thank him for - it was a distraction for the off-field troubles, at least.What Rowett also brings is a massive sense of family. As cheesy as that sounds, he has turned the team into a happy group of players that seem to want to play for each other. When quality isn't screaming off the team-sheet, the desire to play for one other is massive, and can't be overstated.He's made some solid signings during his tenure at St Andrew’s and this has been respected by the Birmingham supporters. Whilst he doesn't have the millions that some of his Championship rivals have, he's made the most of what he's had, and the loan deal that saw Jon Toral move to the Midlands this season was genius.The worry for Blues fans now is that the temptation of a club flirting with promotion season after season may be too much. And you've got to question whether you'd blame Rowett for making the move. Derby are a team that seem to always have a serious transfer budget, and that's tempting for a manager that has only been able to spend around £2m in two seasons - and that's to challenge for the play-offs.Loyalty isn't a big deal in football anymore, but for Birmingham City fans, it could be the one thing they hold on to in terms of Gary Rowett's departure. Whether he stays or goes, Blues fans will always be grateful he saved them from that turbulent spell, just as things could have gotten a whole lot worse.

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