Birmingham are to blame for Rooney becoming another Golden Generation failure
Opinion Chief Football Writer
The owners are a product of the environment in which they now exist
January 2, 2024 4:28 pm(Updated 7:59 pm)
The last 12 months have not been kind to Rooney (Photo: Reuters)
In Wayne Rooney’s parting statement[1] to and about Birmingham City, he lamented that he was not given the required time to make changes.
Cut to the reply from just about every single Birmingham[2] supporter: that was your first mistake – we didn’t need to change in the first place. Everything was going fine until you showed up. The only genuine shock here is that Rooney lasted so long.
If that seems an odd assessment of an 83-day tenure, he lost his first two league fixtures without Birmingham scoring, he mustered 10 points in total and took the club from inside the Championship play-offs[3] to the cusp of the bottom three. Things changed alright, Wayne, don’t you worry about that. In that Rooney statement, there is a palpable remorse about the impact upon his managerial career (rough translation: he knows he’s cocked up).
Professional careers are forged on hard work and talent but they are routinely fuelled by making the right decision at the right time. Rooney is now, at best, back at square one. It is exactly a year since he was favourite for the vacant Everton job[4].
The last 12 months have not been kind. There will be little majority sympathy for Rooney. He is perceived as a member of the England generation for whom gold turned out to be only wet pyrite glinting in the sun, overpampered as players and then overpromoted as coaches.
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Gary Neville tried and failed; Frank Lampard tried harder and failed marginally less; Steven Gerrard[5] tried and is failing; Rooney has tried and now is perceived as a failure.
The rise of club tribalism did badly for these types, whose stumbles were cheered by those lining up to watch them fall. On Rooney’s part, the assessment is a little harsh. All reports suggest that he has worked damn hard and expected no legs up.
If Derby County[6] as your first senior gig is indeed overpromotion, the situation was bleak beyond belief given the financial emergency and lack of light. He improved DC United but took over with them second bottom of the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer and then took the Birmingham City hospital pass. From a career crossroads he has careered off onto the grass verge.
But Rooney is also right. Thirteen weeks is no time to prove whether you are wrong or right for a job and if the appointment is proved to be a mistake within that time then the appointment itself was a matter of some negligence. Although the fallout will surround the vanquished coach, this sacking reflects far worse on Birmingham than it does on Rooney.
In their statement when announcing Rooney’s arrival, Birmingham’s owners[7] insisted that they were “backing themselves”. But this is proof only of conviction, not expertise, and far too many get the two mixed up in an age where he who shouts loudest tends to have their words written down.
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“The thing is, dear,” Frogger said to his wife when stood next to the busy motorway, “I’m backing myself to leap across all six lanes on my first go.” Birmingham had a good thing going.
John Eustace had become the first one of their last nine managers to reach 60 games in charge, they were sixth in the table and they were overperforming against the quality in the squad. The club had known only flux thanks to the constant overhaul of players and managers and the soured relationship between absent previous owners and the supporters and it was flourishing in calmer waters. Then the new owners saw a big name and decided that they wanted to cash in.
They have been wholly punished and they need to get the next call right or risk quickly losing the faith of the fans. But then the owners are a product of the environment in which they now exist. Ten different Championship clubs have changed their manager in the last 90 days.
Rooney was the 15th longest serving in the division and had been there for approximately seven minutes. There is a deep desperation culture here provoked by financial inequality and a need for a Premier League[8] payday. Desperation causes panic and bad decisions are made when novices are panicking.
The great irony to all this is that Birmingham’s owners will now be searching for a new manager and have a few criteria. They would like successful recent Championship experience. They would like someone who they believe that the supporters will take to.
They may prefer someone who knows Birmingham and so can hit the ground running in mid-season.
There is a guy I can think of, actually: John somebody?
References
- ^ Wayne Rooney’s parting statement (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Birmingham (inews.co.uk)
- ^ the Championship play-offs (inews.co.uk)
- ^ the vacant Everton job (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Steven Gerrard (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Derby County (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Birmingham’s owners (inews.co.uk)
- ^ Premier League (inews.co.uk)