Former Birmingham player Jermaine Pennant believes that Wayne Rooney’s appointment as manager of the club was a mistake and suggests that the Premier League legend’s managerial CV was not up to scratch for the job.
Wayne Rooney At Birmingham City
Having joined the club as co-owner in August 2023, NFL legend Tom Brady made the decision to replace manager John Eustace with Wayne Rooney after 11 games with the team in 6th in the table.
Following his introduction, Rooney said he was targeting a Premier League return with the club. However, the former DC United boss has had an underwhelming start to life in the Midlands, failing to win any of his first 5 Championship games, losing 4 and drawing 1.
As a result, the Blues are in freefall and have plummeted down the table, now finding themselves in 18th and flirting with relegation.
"If it's not broken, don't try and fix it" 🔧
Don Goodman believes Wayne Rooney's appointment as Birmingham City manager was 'really poor timing' 👇 pic.twitter.com/5O1i2QEA9S
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) November 14, 2023
What Has Jermaine Pennant Said About Rooney’s Time At Birmingham City?
Following Rooney’s subpar start to life in Birmingham, former player Jermaine Pennant has weighed in on the appointment.
Speaking to King Casino Bonus, Pennant said: “It’s sad to see what’s happening at Birmingham. John Eustace will be sitting there with a cigar and a cup of tea at home. Birmingham were sitting pretty in sixth, but they’re now 18th and eight points off relegation. That’s a catastrophe and a massive blunder.”
The former Arsenal and Liverpool winger continued: “There was no reason to look at Wayne Rooney or any other manager considering what they did last season. I know it’s early days, but it doesn’t look as if it’s going anywhere. Wayne Rooney hasn’t earned the right to be given a job like this, but I thought the American owners saw him as a marquee name. They need to understand it doesn’t work like that. It’s not American football or basketball, it’s English football, and you need a manager who knows how to win games.”
https://twitter.com/AwayEfl92/status/1725449927172444392
Pennant then went on to sympathise with the Birmingham City fans, saying: “It was definitely a mistake to sack Eustace. You can see why the fans are so upset. They’ve taken the team from sixth to 18th in a space of a month – it’s barmy! The owners should be admitting the mistakes they’ve made and not talking about their visions for the future. They’re almost fighting relegation. Getting into the Premier League is the vision – it’s a really weird one. Birmingham fans must be seething to watch this. It’s not only the results, it’s the performances. They were hard to beat before, but now they’re losing comfortably.”
Harsh words from the former Premier League star, but with the Manchester United legend 5/4 to be sacked before the end of the season, do you think Rooney’s Birmingham appointment was a mistake?
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