Birmingham City are already contemplating a managerial change, according to reports, having just appointed Wayne Rooney back in October in controversial circumstances.
Rooney’s arrival at St. Andrew’s came with a lot of criticism from pundits and fans alike as the former Derby County manager was displacing John Eustace in the dugout, despite the latter guiding the Midlands to sixth in the Championship before his departure.
Furthermore, Eustace was relieved of his duties in the aftermath of a 3-1 win over West Bromwich Albion in the West Midlands Derby, making the board’s decision seem all the more bizarre at the time.
Since Rooney’s appointment, the Blues have consistently gotten worse and have plummeted down the Championship table from sixth to now 19th in the league and are closer to the relegation zone than to ninth.
It's been a far from ideal start for Wayne Rooney at Birmingham 🔵#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/pwrFZJ2EOV
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 27, 2023
Another defeat came on Boxing Day against fellow strugglers Stoke City, who appointed Steven Schumacher as a manager just a few days before the game took place. With just a little over a half-hour gone, Birmingham City found themselves 2-0 down at home.
The match eventually finished 3-1 to the visitors and Rooney admitted after the game that he could have “changed all 11 players at half-time”. The fixtures don’t get any easier either, with games against Bristol City, Leeds United and Hull City on the horizon.
Now, according to The Sun, Rooney is under pressure at Birmingham City and could find himself out of a job very soon. The outlet are claiming that the hierarchy are already on the lookout for a replacement and have identified former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper.
Cooper was recently dismissed from his job at the City Ground after a very successful spell with the Tricky Trees. The ex-Swansea City boss guided Forest to promotion two seasons ago and consolidated their status in the Premier League last term, leaving his role just before Christmas with a 39% win ratio from his two years with the club.
Writer’s View
It would certainly be an ambitious move by the club to appoint Cooper as Rooney’s successor. However, given the job he did with Nottingham Forest, the 44-year-old likely won’t be unemployed for too long and will not be short of top-flight offers.
Furthermore, it would be silly of the board to sack Rooney now and would showcase the ineptitude of those making decisions at the highest level. Whether supporters agree with the decision or not, Birmingham must stick with Rooney and allow him to buy some players in January at the very least before a decision over his future is made.
