‘Cheap shot’ – Ex-Birmingham City boss sad with Rooney’s fitness blast

Wayne Rooney’s remarks from last week did not sit well with a former Birmingham City manager.

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 legend of Manchester United and England has only managed one point and is yet to claim a victory. This stands in stark contrast to the Blues’ performance under Eustace, who led the team to just one point and one place outside of the Championship play-off spots after winning both of his previous two games in charge.

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 get better in preparation for “a tough three or four months.”

Former City manager Clark, who led St Andrews for two years from 2012 to 2014, feels Rooney’s remarks ought to have stayed inside the team and highlighted Eustace’s contribution to a strong season opening before he left.

He stated to The Toon Radio: “They fired a manager who had the team 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 group.

“John Eustace got the team playing in a certain way, but he didn’t have a lot of support in terms of the Championship. It’s acceptable to state that you want your team to play a certain way, but if the players and the group of players are unable to achieve that, you will need to make some short-term adjustments in order to get results and move on to the next transfer window, when you will be able to acquire players you believe can fit into your system and perform the way you desire.

“It’s not as easy as going into club X, Y, or Z and forcing them to play this way because I have this philosophy. It’s challenging if the players can’t play that way. I’ve always held 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 team 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 field, and engage in high-pressing. There’s a hint of a cheap shot directed towards 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 currently at the bottom of the table.