Birmingham City’s new American owners are hungry for success and think Wayne Rooney, the former Manchester United and England striker, is the man to deliver it. That’s why they’ve sacked manager John Eustace and handed Rooney a three and a half year contract. Tom Wagner, Birmingham’s co-owner, claims Rooney will take the club on the ‘next stage of our journey’, after dismissing Eustace for being ‘misaligned’ with their ambitions. ‘Wayne is a born winner,’ Wagner explained. A born winner as a player, yes – as a manager not so much.
Plenty of Birmingham fans are sceptical about Rooney’s managerial track record and rightly so. In his first two jobs as manager – Derby County and DC United – he won just 38 out of 139 games (a win rate of 27.3 per cent). World-beating management this is not.
Rooney’s appointment is symptomatic of a flawed faith that great players have what it takes to be elite managers
Even some football pundits, a profession dominated by ex-players who are reluctant to call out one of their own like Rooney, appear mystified by the turn of events.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in