John Ruddy reveals Birmingham City dressing room reaction to Wayne Rooney appointment | OneFootball

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John Ruddy has opened up on the dressing room’s reaction to Birmingham City’s recent managerial change.

John Eustace was dismissed during the October international break, much to the surprise of the football world. The 43-year-old had been praised for the work he was doing at St. Andrew’s, and left the team sitting sixth in the Championship table.

Blues hired Wayne Rooney as his appointment, with the former England striker overseeing his first game in charge on Saturday.

Birmingham suffered a late 1-0 defeat away to the in-form Middlesbrough, with an 89th minute goal from Morgan Rogers separating the sides.

What has John Ruddy said about John Eustace’s dismissal at Birmingham City?

Ruddy revealed that the Birmingham dressing room was in a state of shock after Eustace departed the club earlier this month.

However, he feels the team has moved on from the decision and is now ready to succeed under Rooney.

“At the time it was a big shock to the players, that’s understandable,” said Ruddy, via Birmingham Live.

“At the end of the day John did a very good job and I don’t think that should be forgotten. But the owners and club management have decided to make that decision.

“They have brought in a manager with an incredible resume as a player, alongside his coaches as well, who have had fantastic careers in their own right. They have come with clear and concise ideas of how they want us to play, and the communication in the first week has been superb.

“Once that decision was made by the club and you get over the initial shock, it’s back to work, and that’s how it has to be. That’s how it has been for the last week or so.”

Birmingham City dropped to seventh in the aftermath of their 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough, with Carrick’s side now just one point behind them in the table.

Just three points separates the Blues in seventh and Swansea City in 17th, highlighting how compact the table still is after 12 games.

Rooney lost his first game in charge of the team, but he will get a quick opportunity for a second bite at the cherry midweek with another round of Championship fixtures ahead.

Birmingham are back at home on Wednesday when they host Rooney’s former assistant manager at Derby County, Liam Rosenior, with his Hull City side travelling to St. Andrew’s for the 37-year-old’s first home game as Blues manager.

Hull are 12th, just one point behind their midweek hosts in the standings.

How was Wayne Rooney’s first game in charge at Birmingham?

Defeat in Rooney’s first game in charge will sting, particularly given his former Man United teammate Michael Carrick was in the other dugout.

A late goal to seal the result only makes matters worse, but it’s hard to argue that Boro didn’t deserve all three points.

Carrick’s side were the dominant force in the game, and carved out the best opportunities.

Birmingham did create chances of their own, but a draw was about the best their performance deserved and they can’t feel too bad about going down 1-0, all things considered.