Wayne Rooney took over as coach of Birmingham in sixth place. Now the team is fighting relegation.
- Wayne Rooney has coached Birmingham in their last 13 matches
- The result is two wins, three draws and eight defeats, putting the club in the relegation battle
- The club was ranked sixth before Rooney took over
- The Norwegian fan club leader believes Birmingham will be relegated if Rooney misses the season.
- The club changed owners in July 2021, with American star Tom Brady taking over the leadership
- Rooney criticized many of his players publicly, which received mixed reactions
– Kills interest. Absolutely awful. They had that starting point when he was hired. It's absolutely ridiculous, Martin Kolsrud tells VG.
He has been a Birmingham supporter since the mid-1970s. In 1981, he founded the Norwegian Birmingham Supporters Club, which is now struggling under Wayne Rooney as coach.
On Boxing Day there was another loss. Stoke won 3-1 and edged past Rooney's men in the table.
Two wins, three draws and eight losses are the result of the 13 matches that Rooney managed with Birmingham.
-I don't see any reason why it should get better. It's hard to keep up with the Birmingham supporters. Some seem to be patient with him, while others want him gone, Eric Ase tells VG.
He runs the Norwegian Championship website and follows the league closely.
-The timing was the worst. He came when they were at their best and optimism was at its peak. As says that when they fired the man behind the success, things could only go one way.
In July of this year, Birmingham gained new owners led by American star Tom Brady.
The club surprised and finished sixth with fans favorite John Eustace at the helm. Then he was suddenly fired, and Ronnie came.
Rooney's first Championship job was with Derby. They struggled financially greatly and finished with 21 minus points. Despite the financial chaos, refusal to sign, and points deduction, Rooney almost managed to save the place.
– I wasn't a fan of Rooney at Derby either. He had a team that wasn't too bad, after all, it was the points draw that ultimately led to their relegation. But neither tactical nor managerial qualities saved me. He's got a somewhat undeserved reputation, says As.
Kulsrud agrees at the fan club.
– He has nothing to show as a coach. He seems moody and hates complaining about players. There is no progress or development in form. I didn't think this was true when the rumors started swirling about Ronnie. Now that it's fun to follow again, he says.
Following the defeat to Stoke on the British Isles football holiday, Rooney was extremely harsh with his players after being booed after another defeat.
– I am disappointed and angry with all the players except Rommel. He's 17 years old and I use him as an example for some of the great players. “I'm not happy with any of them,” Rooney added. Sky Sports.
– If there's one thing I've noticed about Ronnie, it's that he says a lot of strange things in the media. Sometimes it seems very old-fashioned. As says: If it had been Roy Hodgson (76 years old) who made these statements, it would have been more normal.
– Can Birmingham be relegated?
-There is no reason why they should not do this. A strong consolidation in January may be enough to hold the point, but the lower layers have been rising recently. Birmingham doesn't have that.
Kolsrud answers in the fan club as follows whether or not Rooney is the man to change this situation.
– No, they will be relegated if he is allowed to sit out the season. Then they have ambitious owners who don't want to sit and watch it. The question is how long they can watch without doing anything, says Kolsrud.
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