There was huge excitement around St. Andrew’s when it was revealed that Wayne Rooney would be taking over at the club. The approach signalled a fresh new era at the club, and there were hopes that the appointment would help Birmingham cement their spot in the playoff positions in the Championship.
However, the appointment hasn’t worked out as many would have hoped, and there are now fears that the Blues may need to cut their losses on the former England captain, and move back into familiar waters to avoid a disastrous relegation.
Rooney Took Over A Healthy Side
It can’t be overlooked that a certain percentage of Blues fans were against the appointment of Rooney. After all, John Eustace was doing an excellent job at the club, with Birmingham riding high in sixth after picking up a famous 3-1 home win over local rivals West Brom.
But, the newly appointment board were reportedly looking to dismiss the current boss before the healthy victory, with the impending international break being the preferred time to do it. However, with the evidence seen since Rooney’s arrival, it would be easy to make a case for the argument that he has taken the club backwards.
Nightmare Run Of Form
Even after the official announcement of Rooney’s appointment, Birmingham remained among the leading contenders to finish in a playoff position at the odds available at this site that offers customers the opportunity to play free online casino UK games. But, it has been a regrettable start to his career at St. Andrew’s, as Rooney has overseen six defeats in nine Championship matches.
A first win against Sheffield Wednesday in late November offered hope, but the Blues were quickly back to square one after a 4-2 defeat on the road against Blackburn. Defensively, there have been huge questions for Rooney to answer, as they managed to keep just one clean sheet since his appointment in October.
Could The Board Cut Their Losses?
When the decision was made to appoint Rooney, the board was keen to emphasis that the new manager was appointed based on the playing style that the former Manchester United star wanted to play. However, he appears to lack the quality of player required in the squad to play out from the back in the Championship. That could likely leave two options for Rooney, either sacrifice his style in order to pick up points, or continue to give away soft goals and face the sack.
Birmingham’s recent run of form has seen them drop to 17th in the standings, and they are now just four points clear of the drop zone. The most alarming factor will be the form of the sides below them in the standings, with Huddersfield, QPR, and Sheffield Wednesday all picking up wins more frequently than the Blues. A continued regression of form could leave Rooney’s position at the club, as the new owners could barely have envisioned as season in League One so quickly into their tenure.
