Rooney's nightmare 15-game Birmingham spell in full as Man Utd legend sacked
Wayne Rooney's Birmingham City nightmare is over, with the Championship club calling time on his spell as manager.
Rooney took over from John Eustace in October in a move which a number of fans opposed. The Blues had been pushing for a play-off finish when they made their change in the dugout, but have dismissed Rooney with the team down in 15th, as exclusively revealed by Mirror Football.
Eustace won his last two games in charge, and that's the same number of victories secured by Rooney in 15 games. Here, we have taken a closer look at those games - as well as what Rooney said as things began to go from bad to worse.
October 11 - Rooney appointed
“I am absolutely delighted to be joining Birmingham City Football Club at such an exciting time. It is very clear that they have a plan and are committed to realising their ambition for the club," Rooney said in a statement after taking the reins. "We are fully aligned on what is expected. I have been building my managerial career, putting myself in challenging environments, to get me ready for this opportunity. It’s a project that gives me a sense of purpose and I can’t wait to get started.
“We have some exciting young players in the squad, and some who are still to break through into the First Team, alongside a core of experienced senior professionals. I have a clear way that I want the team to play, and my coaching staff and I will work hard to implement it. We will create a winning culture here with an identity that gets Blues fans on their feet.
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“I’ve played at St. Andrew’s and Birmingham City fans were always loud and passionate about their team. It was a really difficult place to come as an opponent and now I get to experience what it is like to have them behind us. My job is to elevate the Club to the next level and I can’t wait to get started. I know what the expectations are and our job is to deliver.”
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Wayne Rooney lasted just 15 games as Birmingham City manager (Getty Images)October 21 - Middlesbrough 1-0 Birmingham
Rooney got off to an underwhelming start, with a Middlesbrough side managed by his former Manchester United team-mate Michael Carrick claiming all three points. Boro sat 16th at the time, but Morgan Rogers scored the only goal of the game at the Riverside Stadium.
"We have to be better," Rooney said. "I thought there were some positives in the game, but the main thing is we need to be better with the ball. It is something we have been working on and trying to get the players to take the ball.
"Midfielders, centre-backs and the goalkeeper need to be a lot more comfortable with the ball at their feet. I thought we were a bit careless in the final third, I think we can play with the ball more but, of course, it is going to take time. We are trying to improve and progress, and ultimately we nearly came away with a point which would have been a decent point away from home."
October 25 - Birmingham City 0-2 Hull City
It was two defeats from two as Hull came to St Andrew's. The Tigers struck once in each half, through Liam Delap and Jaden Philogene, to leave Rooney waiting for the first goal of his tenure.
Rooney lost his first two games (Phil Oldham/REX/Shutterstock)"Of course, [I am] disappointed," he said. "First-half we started really well and then, obviously, we concede a goal you can't do anything about really. Then, from there, we had some good moments. The opportunities Hull had we created by giving the ball away [and] being sloppy with the ball, so that was disappointing.
"Second-half, we again started well and then we just couldn't get that good opportunity or that goal. Then we concede the second and that is the concern for me after we conceded the second goal, we didn't push on and didn't look like scoring [or] creating anything."
October 28 - Southampton 3-1 Birmingham City
A goal, at long last. Jay Stansfield's effort wasn't enough for three points, though, or even one point, as Southampton opened up a 2-0 half-time lead and added a third after Stansfield pulled one back.
“I am, obviously, disappointed with the loss," Rooney said. "I thought there was some improvement on last week, that is for sure. But the goals we conceded were bad goals for us to concede. Three goals at the back post, [we have] not defended the box well.
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"We know Southampton are a good team who pass the ball well, they are the best in the league at that. I thought our shape and discipline were good but it is those details in defending the penalty area."
November 4 - Birmingham City 2-2 Ipswich Town
There aren't many teams who have taken points off Ipswich this season, but this wasn't the turnaround some hoped for. Stansfield netted again, and the Blues went 2-0 up early in the second half, but the Tractor Boys battled back late on.
A late Ipswich comeback denied Rooney a first win in November (Michael Zemanek/REX/Shutterstock)"I thought there were a lot of positives from the game today," Rooney reflected. "The lads were really front-footed, especially in the first-half, and we made it difficult for Ipswich to play. We get a 2-0 lead and we fatigued and conceded two really sloppy goals from our point of view. There are things that we can work on and do better.
"I felt having Burkey (Oliver Burke) and Jay up top with their energy could cause Ipswich problems. We had Miyoshi and Bacuna out wide but having the ability to come inside and link play. I am seeing improvements every week in training and we will get there."
November 11 - Sunderland 3-1 Birmingham City
That's right, another defeat, making it one point from five games. Koji Miyoshi was on target after coming in for praise the previous week, but the Black Cats came out on top with the help of an own goal.
"I am disappointed," Rooney said. "I thought the performance was a good away performance and we caused Sunderland problems with how we pressed them. We won the ball back a lot of times and had good opportunities, maybe a little bit more care in the final third and we take a couple more of the chances.
"The goals are really sloppy goals from our point of view. I mentioned this to the players before the game about their concentration, especially on set pieces. In this league, set pieces are so important, and we didn't defend them well enough."
November 25 - Birmingham City 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Finally a win, with the international break seemingly doing the Blues some good. Rooney's team needed to come from behind, though, with Juninho Bacuna and Jordan James scoring to bring a crucial three points.
"[The] second-half was better. I was disappointed with the players first-half because of how they have been all week in training and then we didn't show the energy that I wanted first-half or the composure with the ball," the boss said.
"Getting the goal just before half-time was nice, but I wasn't happy at all at half-time and I made the players aware that I wanted more energy and I wanted more composure because I felt with a bit more energy - they took risks playing out from the back - we could really hurt them.
"We had a good dominance of the game second-half and then, obviously, what you always want when you make changes is for players to have an impact. I thought Jukey (Lukas Jutkiewicz) did that and then JJ (Jordan James) got his goal, so I am really pleased."
November 29 - Blackburn Rovers 4-2 Birmingham City
Sadly for Rooney, he wouldn't register successive wins. Siriki Dembele scored twice at Ewood Park, but so did Blackburn's Sammie Szmodics, and the hosts' victory was assured despite Rooney's men threatening to come back from 3-0 down.
"Throughout the game, I thought we played well," Rooney said despite the defeat. "We caused Blackburn a lot of problems. My final message to the players before we came out after half-time was the first five minutes of the second-half is so important to keep your concentration.
"I thought we did a good job, you could hear how quiet the crowd was here in the first-half. It was a crazy 10 minutes, sloppy, not getting to the ball, losing focus and we concede three goals so it is something we really need to look at. 10 minutes has cost us.
Rooney's team struggled to hit their stride (Getty Images)"I thought we were the better team. Blackburn had more possession in the first-half, but I thought we looked more dangerous than them with the opportunities we created. I'm really frustrated tonight. After we went 3-0 down, we kept going and kept pushing, got one goal back and then a second. It felt like we were going to get an equaliser, but it wasn't to be and we concede late on trying to get that third goal."
December 2 - Birmingham City 0-0 Rotherham United
A home game against relegation battlers Rotherham is the kind of game Rooney would surely have earmarked for points. It wasn't to be, though, with a goalless draw not going down too well with the manager.
"Really disappointed and frustrated because when you look at the players I put out on the pitch and what I am asking them to do, for 20-25 minutes I thought we were really good and caused Rotherham problems," Rooney said after what felt like two points dropped. "Then, for whatever reason, we take our foot off the pedal, we become complacent and sloppy and in the end should have lost the game. It is nowhere near good enough.
"You are playing this game to score goals, so when you get an opportunity and you're in space, the weight of the pass or the decision making is costing us way too many times. The performance today was nowhere near good enough. When you are playing against a team who are sitting back, we have to move the ball with a quick tempo and be patient. It wasn't and it allowed them to get back into their shape and we then didn't move them."
December 8 - Coventry City 2-0 Birmingham City
A trip to Coventry brought another defeat, with Rooney's wait for an away win continuing. Callum O'Hare scored both of the hosts' goals to leave Birmingham down in 16th.
"It is game management," Rooney said when assessing where things went wrong. "First-half, the first goal comes from us losing the ball up the pitch and they go and get the goal. I keep saying to the players about taking the ball and making the right decisions when you get it, playing out of tight areas. We got caught with that for the first goal and we have to react better when we lose the ball."
December 13 - Cardiff City 0-1 Birmingham City
Juninho Bacuna scored the only away winner under Rooney (Getty Images)That wait for an away win didn't last too much longer. Bacuna was Birmingham's hero once more, scoring the only goal of the game at the Cardiff City Stadium.
"I'm delighted with the three points tonight, it was, obviously, a much-needed win for us," Rooney said, as he was afforded a sigh of relief. "Over the last few weeks we have been trying to get a performance for 90 minutes, I thought tonight we did that.
"In the first-half, they had a couple of half chances, but I always felt that we looked like a threat with our front three. Second-half, we defended the box well and they didn't have any clear-cut chances and then we've had three or four to get the second goal. We kept going throughout and got the deserved victory."
December 18 - Birmingham City 2-3 Leicester City
A meeting with promotion-chasing Leicester was hardly the easiest follow-up, and sure enough the wait for successive wins would continue. James bagged a brace against Enzo Maresca's side, but the Foxes had too much for Rooney's men.
"You are always disappointed when you lose, but I thought there were some really good signs, especially against a very good team," Rooney said. "There is a reason they are top of the league. I thought for the first 30 minutes we were excellent, but a little bit naive with the goals we conceded.
"Their added quality showed in the second-half, but I was pleased that we kept going and kept working. The players were against a difficult team, so we knew they would have opportunities.
"I didn't want the team to show them too much respect tonight. I wanted to be aggressive and make it difficult for them. We created chances and caused them problems at times. Second-half we didn't start well, but we kept pushing. We have to move on now, we have a lot of games coming up over this Christmas period, which is great, and I can't wait for those games."
December 23 - Plymouth Argyle 3-3 Birmingham City
Birmingham were close to successive away wins, leading 2-0 and 3-1 against managerless Plymouth. A red card for Krystian Bielik at 2-1 would prove decisive, though, with the hosts finding an equaliser in the final five minutes.
"I thought that first-half we caused them a lot of problems with movement, taking the ball in the opposition's half," Rooney said."I thought we were creating some big problems for them.
Krystian Bielik was sent off in the draw at Plymouth (Andy Shaw/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)"We, obviously, go two goals up and then concede from a Dion (Sanderson) mistake, a sloppy goal to concede before half-time. They get a little momentum and then there is the red card.
"With 10 men it was difficult, but I still think we were a threat at times on the break. Unfortunately, we just couldn't see the game out. [I am] disappointed, frustrated, but I think there are good signs."
December 26 - Birmingham City 1-3 Stoke City
Birmingham sat 18th on Christmas Day, seven points above the drop zone, but failed to pull clear when Stoke came to town. There was another goal from Stansfield, whose form was one of the brighter sparks under Rooney, but the Blues were already 3-0 down at the time.
"It is unrecognisable from what we have been seeing lately," Rooney said. "It is very difficult to put your finger on that. It was nowhere near good enough. I have said to the players 'that is not a performance I want my team to put in'.
"The basics we didn't get right, the goals we conceded were very poor goals. Ultimately, I just felt we were second to every second ball, we lacked energy, we lacked creativity, the players didn't seem to want to get on the ball. It is very frustrating."
December 29 - Birmingham City 0-0 Bristol City
In what would prove to be Rooney's final home game, play-off chasers Bristol City were kept at bay. Birmingham failed to get a crucial goal themselves, but the manager appeared optimistic after a game in which he gave a full debut to teenager Romelle Donovan.
"It wasn't a classic game, but the main thing for us was to keep a clean sheet after the last few games," Rooney insisted. "I thought we defended really well and made it difficult for them to create any clear-cut chances.
"Bristol City have been in good form, they are very energetic and won their last three games. We knew tonight was going to be a difficult game and for us, we had to work together as a group and I thought we did that really well. We stayed more compact and really tried to move up the pitch as a team and not be open and I felt we were much better than what we have been.
"With Romelle, you forget how young he is. He deserved to start tonight and I thought he had a good hour. He had a couple of half opportunities in the final third and he's a really exciting player and he's got a massive future for us."
January 1 - Leeds United 3-0 Birmingham City
Elland Road hasn't been an easy place to come for many teams this season, and Birmingham's visit was no different, Patrick Bamford, Dan James and Crysencio Summerville all found the net in what would prove to be Rooney's farewell.
"I’ve obviously spoken to the owners," Rooney said after his last game, though at the time we didn't know it would be his last. "That is private between me and the owners. We are going through a difficult period, there’s no denying that, and we need to do everything we can to come out of that.
"What’s clear is we need some players in. We need players to come in to help with the quality of the team but also some fresh faces in the building as well.
"I believe in myself. We have a very young squad and it’s difficult for the players at the minute. We have to keep believing we will get through this."
Rooney would later suggest he needed more time to implement the changes he wanted. With relegation a real risk, though, the owners decided they couldn't wait any longer.
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