Birmingham City Turns Towards Wayne Rooney After Sacking Pitiful John Eustace in Just 15 Months in Charge.
It has been a turbulent few days for Wayne Rooney as he left his position as DC United head coach and now is the favourite to replace John Eustace at Birmingham City. The Championship team moved closer to appointing Rooney after sacking in his 15th month in charge of the club. However, not all fans are on board with the decision, as Birmingham sacked Eustace with their team in 6th and won their previous match against West Brom 3-1. According to the club statement, the appointment of a new boss is imminent and will be encouraged to adopt a no-fear approach.
Also Read: Mykhailo Mudryk Scores First-Ever Chelsea Goal Against Fulham in 2-0 West London Derby Triumph
Wayne Rooney Steps Down as DC United Head Coach
As mentioned earlier, Rooney left his position as head coach of MLS side DC United by mutual consent after failing to secure a playoff spot for the second straight season. Although Rooney arrived as a mid-season replacement in 2022, he could not prevent his team from finishing bottom in the league and only recorded two wins throughout the season.
In 2023, the team started to click, and they narrowly missed out on a playoff spot despite winning 2-0 against New York City FC and placed themselves in 9. Ironically, their former manager, Losada, qualified for the playoff by edging out Portland Timbers in the final matchday with a 3-1 win. Two days ago, Rooney announced he would leave the club. “It is the right time. I have done everything I can to get this club into the playoffs. It is not a single thing that has happened. It is about timing.”
DC United chief executive Jason Levien released his own verdict in response to the decision. “We have spoken with Wayne and agreed it is best for us to part ways now. This decision creates an avenue for our next general manager to have the full opportunity to impart a new philosophy and structure to our sporting operations, which begins with a head coach who will best align with this. We are grateful to Wayne Rooney for all he has done for our club and soccer in the nation’s capital, first as a DC United player and captain and most recently as our coach.”
Will the Rooney Appointment Turn to a Zola Situation 2.0?
Appointing a big household name does not always work out; Simply ask Chelsea or Birmingham themselves with the appointment of Gianfranco Zola in 2016. To put into perspective, Birmingham City sacked Gary Rowett when they were in a very similar position in 2016, seventh in the Championship, level on points with the team in sixth, and replaced him with the Italian legend.
Then, Zola won just two of his 24 games in charge before being sacked six months later in April. Although his replacement, Harry Redknapp, kept the club going, the club fell from grace. For example, the club spiralled into a tradition of excessive spending on new players, thus breaching the Football Association’s Financial Fair Play rules and leading to points sanctions.
Therefore, is the club following the same mistake with appointing Rooney? While Rooney does have experience in the Championship with Derby Country and has the winning mentality and culture of ambition as a player, he does not have the track record of guiding teams to the next level. What do you think? Let us know in the comments or on our site here.
Which Platform to Watch the MLS and Other Leagues?
With the epic inclusion of Lionel Messi and many of his teammates in the MLS, fans are staying up late to get a glimpse of the World Cup winner. Therefore, we recommend using AsiaSport as your go-to platform for catching all the action in the leagues you desire with high-definition highlights and real-time stats updates. Do you want to catch a glimpse of his former team, Barcelona? Here is the highlights from their 2-2 draw against Granada.
