Wayne Rooney has encountered another disastrous setback in his professional career. The 38-year-old retired from professional soccer as a player in 2021, following his last appearance for Derby County. Immediately appointed as their manager, he eventually departed after relegating them to League One.
After a brief managerial stint at MLS club D.C. United, where he also played and captained previously, he returned to England. Becoming the manager of Birmingham City in the Championship, the second tier of English soccer, has not concluded well for the former Manchester United icon.
Birmingham City sack Wayne Rooney after disastrous spell
After being their manager for just 15 games, Birmingham City confirmed that Wayne Rooney was sacked after a very disastrous spell. This happened following the club’s failure to win more than 2 games under him in 15 matches.
Rooney was brought shortly after the start of the season, after sacking previous manager John Eustace. His high reputation as a player and his previous experience at Derby County earned him the job at the club, which is partly owned by NFL legend Tom Brady.
The appointment of Rooney was not favorable to the fans right from the start, who believed that Eustace could finally lead them to the Premier League. Rooney was expected to provide a better chance for that, but unfortunately he did not live up to the expectations of the board.
đ¨đľ Birmingham City have now fired Wayne Rooney with immediate effect, decision confirmed.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 2, 2024
Rooney failed to win 13 of 15 games in charge.
âUnfortunately, Wayneâs time with us did not go as planned and we have decided to move in a different directionâ, club statement confirms. pic.twitter.com/NahBgU1Yi5
After losing nine games and winning only two, the club plummeted from 5th at the start of his tenure to 20th in the Championship. Instead of challenging for promotion, they are now battling relegation to League One. However, that alone was enough for the club to finally take action, as they fired him this Tuesday morning.
Rooney released a statement on his social media accounts saying, “I would like to thank Tom Wagner, Tom Brady and Garry Cook for the opportunity to manage Birmingham City FC and the support they all gave me during my short period with the club.”
However, he also blamed the club for not giving him enough time, with only 13 weeks of time given to him. “Football is a results business â and I recognize they have not been at the level I wanted them to be. However, time is the most precious commodity a manager requires and I do not believe 13 weeks was sufficient to oversee the changes that were needed.”
Birmingham City’s hapless streak under Rooney
Wayne Rooney appears to be one of the worst appointments ever, despite having played under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson. He has only managed 15 games for the club, with nine defeats, four tied matches, and only two victories. This results in the Englishman having a meager 13% win percentage and earning just 10 points out of a possible 45.
Wayne Rooney's time as Birmingham manager before being sacked:
— Out of Context Football Manager (@nocontextfm1) January 2, 2024
– Started in 5th
– Managed just 15 games
– 13% win percentage
– 83 days
– Sacked in 20th place
Damn! đ pic.twitter.com/nr2N1FVKNP
Most disappointingly the club went from 5th to 20th, from challenging for the title to battling relegation. His side conceded a total of 30 goals in those 15 games, an average of 2 goals conceded per game. They scored 15 goals which means they averaged a goal every game.
The managerial spell by Wayne Rooney most certainly affected the club very negatively and now they will be looking to move on from the mess he has left behind.
