‘Slightly odd’ – How Tom Brady & Birmingham put Wayne Rooney in an ‘awkward’ position & shocked Blues players

The former Manchester United and England star was handed the reins at St Andrew’s with the club sat inside the Championship’s top six. John Eustace’s departure is said to have shocked the players at his disposal, with Rooney now in the “awkward” position of trying to get the best out of a squad that he has been unable to put his own stamp on.

Former Premier League boss Holloway has told Genting Casino of the challenges Rooney faces – with only two wins picked up through 11 games: “I've heard an awful lot about Wayne Rooney. I had the privilege of talking to Liam Rosenior and how he spoke about Wayne was quite amazing, honestly. The empathy that he's got [is impressive]. It's unusual for someone as good as Wayne because normally they're asking you to be as good as them. Wayne is apparently not like that, he's got so much empathy. It's not how the media perceive him to be. It's just awkward how he got the job and the time he got it. Eustace was doing so well and it was unusual for Birmingham to make a decision like that. Obviously, they have lofty ambitions. It was a big shock to the players. If you're in the top six, you don't expect your manager to get the sack if he's earned his stripes and is doing the job brilliantly. But, when ownership changes, they usually want their own man. It was a little bit strange. Give Wayne Rooney time, it's just been awkward for the players. I believe in Wayne, I think he's going to be as good a manager as he was a player. It's just a slightly odd scenario.”

Birmingham have lost seven of Rooney’s games at the helm, leading to them tumbling down the Championship standings and to within six points of the relegation zone – with the ex-Derby boss already having one demotion into League One on his managerial CV.

Ambitious plans are being pieced together in the West Midlands, with Brady and his fellow investors on the Birmingham board hoping to see the Blues return to the Premier League at some point in the near future – having been outside of the English top-flight since 2011.