Wayne Rooney’s failure is no surprise

There was a certain inevitability to the sacking of Wayne Rooney as Birmingham City manager. The only real surprise is how swiftly the end came. Rooney lasted just 13 weeks – all of 83 days – in charge. He won only twice, picking up a grand total of ten points, and suffered nine defeats in 15 games. The 3-0 loss to Leeds on New Year’s Day proved to be  the final straw. It left Birmingham 20th in the Championship table and just six points above the relegation places. The club’s chief executive, Garry Cook, who brashly promised an era of ‘fear-free football’ under Rooney, seems to have changed his tune: ‘Unfortunately, Wayne’s time with us did not go as planned and we have decided to move in a different direction.’

Rooney appeared less than impressed, claiming that he wasn’t given enough time: ‘I do not believe 13 weeks was sufficient to oversee the changes that were needed’. It