"A weird one" - Derby County fan pundit reacts to big Wayne Rooney news at Birmingham City | OneFootball

Highlights

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Wayne Rooney has made his return to English football after a stint back in the US.

The 37-year-old was appointed the new Birmingham City manager earlier this week following the dismissal of John Eustace.

Eustace was a popular figure at St. Andrew’s, making it a surprising decision to part ways with the coach who left the Blues sixth in the Championship table.

Rooney previously worked as a manager in English football with Derby County, where he oversaw their relegation to League One in 2022.

The difficult financial circumstances at Pride Park makes it difficult to judge Rooney’s time with the club, with a significant points deduction penalty playing a key role in sending the team down to the third tier.

How did Wayne Rooney fare at Derby County?

FLW’s Derby fan pundit Shaun Woodward has opened up on what Rooney’s time with the Rams was like.

He believes that it was a strange decision to swap Eustance for the former England forward, claiming that Birmingham may be chasing a name rather than the best available coach for the team.

“I find it a really strange one, to be honest,” Woodward told Football League World.

“He was okay at Derby.

“By all accounts, Rosenior was the brains behind it all, so he was probably the coach whereas Rooney was more just the figurehead because of his name.

“Yes, he can probably attract a couple of players in.

“He might help their strikers.

“But, for me, John Eustace was doing a great job there, he’s got them in the play-offs in similar kind of circumstances to how Rooney was at Derby.

“But maybe not as bad.

“He’s been doing a really good job there, so I find that a really strange one.

“Maybe they’ve just gone for a name, a bit like what Derby have done over the years, but it hasn’t always worked out for us.

“I think it’s a weird one for Birmingham, don’t think he’s probably the answer but they’re taking a bit of a gamble like we’ve done.

“Hopefully it works out for them though.”

Where are Birmingham City in the Championship table?

Rooney will take charge of his first game as Birmingham manager after the international break.

The former striker’s first fixture will be a trip to face Middlesbrough at the Riverside on 21 October, where he will meet his former Manchester United teammate Michael Carrick in the opposite dugout.

Was Wayne Rooney the right appointment at Birmingham City?

Rooney’s time at Derby and DC United is hard to judge, so there is a lot of uncertainty around just how prepared he will be to replace Eustace.

Birmingham’s new owners have opted for an appointment of their own, which is usual enough when a takeover happens.

However, the decision to replace Eustace at this time is still strange given just how well he was doing at St. Andrew’s.