2HJJT74 DERBY, UK. JAN 30TH Blues players celebrate after Scott Hogan of Birmingham City scored a goal to make it 0-2 during the Sky Bet Championship match between Derby County and Birmingham City at the Pride Park, Derby on Sunday 30th January 2022. (Credit: Jon Hobley | MI News) Credit: MI News & Sport /Alamy Live News
Birmingham City fired Wayne Rooney in October after he led the team in just 15 games. The Blues had fallen to 20th place in the league.
Despite his strong early-season play, the former Manchester United forward was a surprise choice to succeed John Eustace as manager in October.
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The club was performing well and had moved up to sixth position in the table under Eustace, so it was all the more strange that he was fired in October.
Tom Wagner and Garry Cook had expressed a desire for a “young, attack-minded team” at St Andrew’s, and Rooney’s appointment was to follow suit.
It seemed like a lot to ask for the manager to radically alter the Blues’ style of play when he was fired without having had a chance to sign any players.
Article photo: Wayne Rooney of Birmingham City aims at Tom Wagner and Garry Cook
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, presented by Sky Bet, former Blues manager Rooney lamented that, due to the long-term nature of the contract that he signed, he could not stay on until January.
The former England international was taken aback by his dismissal in December because he believed that bringing in players in January would help the team tremendously and was a crucial component of his long-term plan to alter the playing philosophy at St Andrew’s.
“You’re always looking for momentum, and that first win is important,” Rooney stated. “We didn’t get that in our first five games.” The international break came next.
“I discussed with the owners how I wanted to play and how they wanted the squad to play before I got in. Our goals were the same. We all knew one thing: in January, we needed players. The only thing that really disappointed me was that, even though it was discussed, we knew we needed players, so when January rolled around, they didn’t allow me the chance to get them in.
“If you look at everything I and the owners of Birmingham City said, it was all about a long-term strategy. Naturally, we weren’t seeing the desired outcomes in the near run. Although I acknowledge that owners must make choices, it disappointed me that I was unable to acquire the players in January. It came as a little surprise when it did.
Birmingham has suffered since Eustace was fired.
Article image: Wayne Rooney criticizes Tom Wagner and Garry Cook in Birmingham City
After firing Eustace in October, the Blues have been in free decline, going from being contenders for promotion to fighting for their lives in the league.
After the former QPR manager was fired, the team was sitting in sixth place in the league. Rooney took over a team that appeared capable of contending for a top six spot in the Championship.
But poor results quickly followed, and after just 15 games with two victories, the former Derby County manager was fired and Tony Mowbray took over, with the team sitting in 20th place in the league.
Mowbray’s first six matches saw three victories and a draw as the going became better. Having been in charge during the January transfer window, he was able to bring in three players to assist improve his team’s form: André Dozell, Seung-ho Paik, and Alex Pritchard.
Although they undoubtedly made a difference, it was by no means a total makeover, and the fact that Rooney was unable to turn things around while he was at the Blues was indicative of his managerial shortcomings.
15th in the standings since Mowbray took charge, although the former Sunderland manager had to leave the team for six to eight weeks due to health concerns.
