Wayne Rooney’s tenure at Birmingham City was short but it certainly wasn’t sweet.
The England and Manchester United legend managed just two wins in his 15 matches in charge, making for 13 fixtures of disappointment for Bluenoses home and away.
Every time Rooney failed to guide Blues to a win got him closer and closer to the sack as fans were never truly convinced from day dot - when John Eustace was sacked.
The heavy 3-0 defeat at Leeds United on New Year’s Day was the last straw for Rooney as he was relieved of his duties on the morning of January 2.
Here’s the story of Rooney’s 83 days in charge of Birmingham, including the brief highs and the tumultuous lows.
1. Middlesbrough 1-0 Birmingham (21/10/23)
Only a narrow defeat but a defeat nonetheless as Rooney’s tenure got off to a disappointing start. Blues showed good attacking intent but were crushed by former West Brom man Morgan Rogers, who netted the winner in the 88th minute.
2. Birmingham 0-2 Hull City (25/10/23)
Rooney’s home debut was a car crash as Birmingham lacked authority and were torn apart by the Tigers. Hull boss Liam Rosenior backed Rooney post-match but it was a very poor showing at St Andrew’s, leading to a whole host of boos and negative chants.
3. Southampton 3-1 Birmingham (28/10/23)
A third straight defeat and another poor display from the start as the hosts were 2-0 up within just 22 minutes. Blues did get back into the game and were unfortunate not to get a penalty but a late Adam Armstrong goal put the result beyond doubt.
4. Birmingham 2-2 Ipswich Town (04/11/23)
Rooney’s first point and it was a superb one against one of the best teams in the Championship. It probably should’ve been all three but the Tractor Boys took advantage of Blues’ fatigue to score twice late on. Support for Rooney built from this but it was only short-lived.