Wayne Rooney has been appointed as Birmingham City manager, just two months after NFL legend Tom Brady became a minority investor in the Championship club earlier this season
Tom Brady and the Birmingham City boss have been criticized for the club’s pursuit of “fearless” football.
Brady became a minority shareholder in the Championship club in August and was appointed chairman of a newly formed advisory committee. The NFL legend has a business relationship with Birmingham-based majority owner Knighthead Capital Management LLC and attended the second league game of the season against Leeds United at St Andrew’s Stadium.
Brady’s decision to step down as head coach of John Eustace came just two months after becoming co-owner of the Birmingham team. Wayne Rooney has been named as his successor days later, shortly after he resigned as head coach of Major League Soccer side D.C. United.
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Since Rooney took charge of Birmingham, the club has won just one of his seven games in charge. That run also resulted in five defeats and dropped the club from sixth to 16th in the table.
The club’s statements at the time of Eustace’s sacking included a desire to play “fearless” football under the next manager. The statement read: “A new first-team manager will be announced in the coming days and will be responsible for creating an identity and a clear ‘fearless’ style of play that will be adopted and embraced by all Birmingham City squads.”
Former Wolves and West Brom striker Don Goodman has given his thoughts on the current situation at St Andrew’s. The Sky Sports pundit criticized the club’s decision to sack Eustace when they were in the play-off positions and questioned the “no fear” plan adopted by the new owners.
“Wayne (Rooney) has hinted that there will be support in the transfer market. He wants to play a possession-based game like he did at Derby County and D.C. United,” Goodman told OLBG. “I don’t think he’s under pressure. The mess Birmingham are in is the boss’s fault, not Wayne’s.”
Goodman added: “I feel for Wayne because he came through the middle in this run and the crowd got behind him. When you go into a new club you need results but it’s not happening. With this Series schedule, never.
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“Wayne was under pressure from the timing and the boss. The ‘no fear’ football statement is confusing. They said Eustace finished sixth in fear! It makes no sense and is a poorly worded statement.
“The new club has backed themselves up. They’ve gone all out and shown their ambition to get into the Premier League, but with that comes pressure.”
“I felt sorry for Wayne because a small section of the fans started booing, but it wasn’t his fault. I just wanted to get that out. He’s their man and I hope he gets some time.”