Wayne Rooney’s most memorable contribution as Birmingham City manager was the unforgettable joke that summed up his ill-fated 15-game spell. Caught hopelessly to lean against the wall Standing in the St Andrew’s tunnel, visibly exasperated after a disappointing game (of which there were many), the picture was never positive for the former England and Manchester United striker at the club. His impeachment was imminent.
Birmingham City were sixth in the Championship table when Rooney took over in October. Now, after 15 matches and just two wins, they have fallen to 20th place. The season, which was shaping up as a promotion push, turned into a fight against relegation. Rooney believed he should have been given more time to sort things out, but the situation had become unsalvageable. Keeping Rooney on longer could have caused more damage on and off the pitch.
Rooney should not have been given the Birmingham job in the first place. John Eustace kept the team going in the right direction. His last two games in charge were impressive back-to-back wins against Huddersfield Town and West Brom. But Eustace wasn’t a big enough name for Birmingham City’s new owners, who include Tom Brady. Rooney is not solely responsible for the current mess.
US-based Shelby Companies Limited completed the acquisition of St Andrew’s club last July. The ownership group, headed by hedge fund manager Tom Wagner (the name is a reference to the Birmingham-based TV show Peaky Blinders), initially made a good first impression, recruited well and set the team up for a positive season.
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By dumping Eustace for Rooney, Birmingham City’s new owners have underlined how much they need to learn about football, especially the Championship. England’s second tier is less a football league than a fighting ring where reputation matters little. It is a test of endurance that requires a different kind of personality to succeed. Some managers have this personality. Others don’t do this.
At Derby County, Rooney’s personality helped create a siege mentality in difficult circumstances. But as Birmingham City boss, his combative nature and willingness to publicly call out his own players was reportedly irritating. At no point did it feel like the dressing room and support were behind Rooney.
The fans were against Rooney from the beginning. If Shelby believed the 38-year-old’s legendary status in the game would be enough to win over fans, they showed a basic understanding of how English football fandom works. On the contrary, Rooney’s successes at rival clubs made it difficult for him to gain the trust of Birmingham City fans. Were the fans supposed to be grateful that someone as famous as Rooney was the club’s manager?
Not all American club owners are doing a bad job. In fact, three of the Premier League’s current top four clubs are US-owned, while an American investment group owns 18% of Manchester City. Americans often own football clubs to make a profit, and this can mesh well with a team’s sporting ambitions – just look at how Liverpool’s value has increased as the team won British and European titles under the control of Fenway Sports Group. Financial and sporting ambition can stand side by side.
Wrexham is another good example. The Welsh club ended a 15-year EFL exile after being bought by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in November 2020. Of course, Wrexham have embraced the glamor that comes with being the focus of a popular internationally popular TV documentary series, but this has not influenced decision-making on the football side. When Reynolds and McElhenney first had to hire a manager, they turned to minor league specialist Phil Parkinson rather than a big name.
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Shelby faces a long process to regain the faith of the Birmingham City support. Having only arrived at St Andrew’s last summer, they perpetuate all kinds of negative stereotypes towards American club owners. Chasing a big-name star off the bench and then abandoning that plan within a few months fits all the familiar tropes. The Peaky Blinders reference in the ownership group’s name now feels gimmicky, as does Brady’s involvement – does the seven-time Super Bowl winner really watch the Championship games every Saturday? Is his investment purely financial?
American ownership groups are not uniquely unqualified or tempestuous. New owners, regardless of sport, often fall victim to ‘new owner syndrome’ as they unravel the idiosyncrasies of major sports. It’s just that the British pyramid is now so full of American-backed investment funds and US stars that their naivety screams loudest.
Birmingham City has great potential. They play in England’s second city and see Aston Villa’s recent success in the Premier League as an exciting glimpse of what they can achieve with the right leadership and investment. “The city is young, dynamic and a destination of choice for businesses large and small who want to take advantage of all it has to offer,” Wagner wrote in an open letter last summer. “It is now time for the football club that bears his name to play its part in adding both economic and reputational value,” he said. The Rooney disaster certainly didn’t help achieve that.
The best decision Shelby can make now may be to give Eustace his job back. By throwing up their hands and admitting their mistakes, the owners can win the fans back to their side and get Birmingham City back on the upward path they appeared to be under the previous manager. Wagner also wrote in his letter that the club would experience “some bumps along the way.” However, Rooney suffered a bigger blow than they expected.