A former Birmingham City manager was not impressed with comments made by Wayne Rooney last week.
After questioning the Blues players’ fitness last week, Wayne Rooney allegedly took a “bit of a cheap shot” at his predecessor, John Eustace, according to former Birmingham City manager Lee Clark.
In his first five games as manager of City, the great of Manchester United and England has only managed one point and is yet to earn a victory. This stands in stark contrast to the Blues’ performance under Eustace, who led the team to only one point and one position outside of the Championship play-off spots after winning both of his previous two games in command.
Rooney’s reign began with three straight losses to Southampton, Hull City, and Middlesbrough. However, he soon secured his first point with a thrilling 2-2 home draw against Ipswich Town, a team vying for promotion.
But in the last game before the international break, Sunderland humiliated Rooney’s team 3-1 at the Stadium of Light, with former City youth player Jobe Bellingham scoring a goal. The Blues were back to losing ways.
Following the North East defeat, Rooney appeared to cast doubt on the ability of the players he took over from Eustace, stating that the international break had “come at a good time” to allow his team to become better in preparation for “a tough three or four months.”
Former City manager Clark, who led the team to victory at St Andrews for two seasons in 2012 and 2014, feels that Rooney’s remarks ought to have remained private and highlighted Eustace’s contribution to the team’s strong start to the season before his departure.
He spoke to The Toon Radio: “They fired a manager who had the squad in a better financial and situational position than they should have been. I am aware that Birmingham had new ownership, but because they missed the transfer window, they hadn’t made many investments in the organisation.
“John Eustace got the squad playing in a certain fashion, but he didn’t have a lot of support in terms of the Championship. Sometimes it’s okay to say you want your team to play a specific manner, but if the players and the group of players are unable to do that, you will need to make a short-term change in order to gain results and move on to the next transfer window, players you think are capable of beating your system and playing the style you desire.
“It’s not as easy as coming into club X, Y, or Z and forcing them to play this way because I have this mindset. It’s challenging if the guys can’t play that manner. I’ve always had the view that if you walk into a club and feel the level of fitness isn’t right, keep that to yourself and focus on getting the squad fit.
“Rooney’s comments that the players weren’t as fit as he wanted them to be left me feeling a little let down. I get the impression that he’s attempting to play fast football through the thirds, win the ball high up the pitch and engage in high-pressing. There’s a hint of a cheap shot directed on the former coach, who had them batting above their likely position in the top six.
The next time Rooney looks to win a game will be on Saturday week when Birmingham plays Sheffield Wednesday, who are now at the bottom of the standings.
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