Wayne Rooney has claimed that he warned Birmingham City chairman Tom Wagner and investor Tom Brady that the squad could not play the free-flowing, possession-based style they demanded, before he was sacked in January 2024.
Rooney managed Birmingham City for just three months in late 2023 after the shock decision to replace John Eustace, who had the club inside the Championship play-offs. Under Rooney, Blues lost nine of 15 matches, culminating in a 3-0 defeat to Leeds United on New Year's Day that sealed his dismissal.
Rooney's Warning to Owners
Speaking on The Overlap, Rooney explained his frustrations: "From when I went in at Birmingham, I knew there were big changes with Tom Wagner and Tom Brady coming in. The disappointing thing is, after two or three games, I've gone to the owners and said, 'These players aren't capable of playing how they wanted the team to play.' I was advised to keep doing it, and then, ultimately, I've lost my job for doing that."
Rooney wanted to revert to the more pragmatic approach used by Eustace, which had been yielding results. "I wanted to change, I wanted to go back to doing what John Eustace was doing, which was getting results. Until I could get players out and bring players in who were capable of doing that, I could see what was coming. They were adamant that they wanted me to continue, and then I lost my job."
Aftermath and Future Plans
The Rooney experiment contributed significantly to Birmingham's relegation that season. He later took charge of Plymouth Argyle, where he lasted until the end of 2024 before the Pilgrims were also relegated. Now 40, Rooney has little desire to return to management, stating: "I'm enjoying what I'm doing now in TV. Unless something with United or Everton, from a coaching point of view not as a manager, was available, other than that I'm happy with what I'm doing."
