When Birmingham City announced Wayne Rooney as their manager, the internet went crazy. Social media hits were high as the news spread. There was though a hidden agenda amongst all the posts.
The game this evening has been dubbed by some quarters as the Wagatha Christie derby. The high-profile court case between Colleen Rooney, wife of the Blues boss, and Rebekah Vardy, the spouse of Leicester City striker Jamie, was huge news. The two spent many months on the front pages, and when the dust settled it was a case of when and if their husbands would meet on the pitch.
Tonight that question is answered, as Leicester City travel to St. Andrews for a game that has ramifications at both ends of the table. The Foxes come into the game still top after Ipswich Town could only draw at the weekend. Rooney’s Birmingham City side are in desperate need of points as they have fallen perilously near the Championship relegation trap door.
In preparation for the game the former Manchester United legend, spoke of how teams that have just been relegated had a big advantage over their new rivals, largely down to the resources they bring with them.
Reported by BirminghamLive Rooney said. “You will always have an advantage in the Championship if you’re a team that’s come down from the Premier League, that’s normal. It’s no fluke that Leicester are where they are, Southampton are where they are, Leeds are right up there as well.
“You have a big advantage purely on the players’ salaries. The better the players, the better the team is. It’s important for us to know they have a lot of experience in the team and a lot of quality, and how do we nullify that and work on exploiting their weaknesses.”
City claimed their second win under Rooney’s watch in midweek, but he has been looking at this evening’s fixture for a while.
“We watched bits of Leicester before the Cardiff game to plan in advance. We’ll do everything we can to try and win the game. Leicester are a fantastic team. They can make it really difficult for you, so we know we’re in for a very tough game.”
Writer’s View
Strip back all the courtroom drama, and the bitterness that led to the Wagatha title, there is a very big game of football ahead. Time will tell if Rooney has it right, and that teams like Leicester do have an advantage. Also, if his extended preparation for them will pay off. Both teams need the points for very different reasons, so away from the hype this should be a tense game.
Wayne Rooney will be the most anxious to get a win, not just to back up the time he has invested in this particular game, but to ease the pressure further, that up until now was starting to squeeze tighter.
