02 December 2023 , 21:08
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Wayne Rooney was booed by Birmingham City fans after their goalless draw with Rotherham United - as NFL Hall of Famer Tom Brady watched on.
Chairman of the Advisory Board Brady kept a close eye on the game which left former England captain Rooney lamenting his side's “very bad” display. Headmitted it was not a good game and his side were fortunate to come away with a point.
“I thought we started the game really well for 20 minutes,” Rooney said. “But we got sloppy, we got slow, and we created a lot of our own problems. We were probably fortunate in the end to come away with a point. A lot of things we need to address, basics of the game like heading the ball, it was not there today.”
Rooney has only won one game in his first eight matches. Asked whether the current crop of players are good enough, he added: “Today was a really frustrating day. My job is to improve them as players so in the next six months we hope there will be changes because you want to bring players in and players will leave.
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“It’s important we don’t get carried away we do have a lot of good players but today we should win that game. That’s an accountability the players need to understand.”
After the game, fans expressed their displeasure by taking to social media. Many called for Rooney to be sacked, labelling him a "disgraceful" manager.
One fan wrote: "That absolutely has to be the end of Rooney. This run is worse than anything I can ever remember! Honestly, I preferred Zola ball to this shower, at least you could see what he was trying to do."
Another fan said:" I'm trying so hard to be positive, but a draw with Rotherham is not good enough. I know Rooney needs his own players, but these players should be winning these types of games. He needs to adapt until he can get the players to suit his style, or we'll go down playing like this."
"That was awful. I appreciate Rooney sets these lot up to play, but they're awful and quite clearly aren't capable of how Rooney wants to play," said another Birmingham supporter. "Roll on, January, because some of these lot aren't fit to play football, never mind the shirt."
Brady helped appoint Rooney, who won 1 game in his first eight matchesThe club has managed only five points in eight games under Rooney, placing Birmingham 15th after the draw. The club was sixth when he took over. Rotherham, without a manager, remain in the 23rd.
Rooney also spoke of the presence of Brady at the game and at the training ground during the week, adding: “Tom was around all the players, and it was great to have him over. He was speaking to players individually, so the more he is here the better it is for us.”
The NFL legend faced criticism online and in a nearby pub when he visited the club due to the decision. The Blues have mostly performed poorly in away games. However, they have secured five wins and three draws and suffered only one defeat in nine games played at St Andrew's.
This was Brady's second game at St Andrew's since becoming a minority investor for the club. When he first accepted the job, he admitted to having limited knowledge of football.
"So here's the deal: I'm officially coming on board at Birmingham City Football Club," Brady said in the video posted by Birmingham Thursday. "And maybe you're asking, 'What do you know about English football, Tom?' And let's just say I've got a lot to learn. But I do know a few things about winning, and I think they might translate pretty well."
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