A popular football pundit has suggested that Wayne Rooney should’ve been given more time at Birmingham City.
Rooney was sacked as Birmingham City manager on Tuesday following a three-month spell in charge, overseeing just 15 games of the Championship club.
Taking over from John Eustace who left the club in 6th place of the table, Rooney now leaves Blues in 20th after winning just two of his games in charge, taking 10 points from a possible 45.
Rooney’s appointment was met with widespread criticism from many in the footballing world, not just Blues fans, and his sacking has seemingly brought delight to many supporters who still think the club can enjoy a positive 2023/24 campaign.
But Gary Lineker has suggested that he thinks Rooney’s Birmingham City sacking was premature.
Gary Lineker hopes to see Wayne Rooney given ‘another chance’
BBC pundit Lineker has had his say on Rooney’s Birmingham City exit.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, he said:
“I hope he gets another chance because three months in football is not much time to change things at a club.
“But you understand why patience will wear thin, especially when you start dipping towards the bottom of the table.”
Rooney has now had three managerial jobs; Derby County, D.C. United, and Birmingham City, with his Blues stint being his lowest-rated in terms of wins (two wins from 15 games, 13.3% win rate).
Rooney was always the wrong man for Birmingham City
Rooney was the wrong man from the start.
His only defence here is that he did change the style of play, fairly rapidly, with Blues almost instantly becoming a team that pressed higher and won the ball back up the pitch.
But it didn’t take much doing and overall, Birmingham City were a much worser team under his watch then under Eustace.
Still, the owners made the decision and now having sacked him just days into the January transfer window, the board seems slightly foolish for hiring him in the first place.
Like Lineker suggests, Blues could well have given Rooney a bit more time after such a bold move hiring him.
It leaves Birmingham City with no direction this month and no manager as things stand, so there’s an awful lot on the club’s to do list for this month.
Up next for Blues is a break from Championship action.
They take on Hull City in the FA Cup this weekend before going up against Swansea in the Championship the following weekend, so there’s time for Blues to bring in a new manager before they return to league duties.