Wayne Rooney is on the hunt for his inaugural victory as Birmingham’s head coach, but his former assistant, Liam Rosenior, aims to thwart his aspirations.
All eyes were fixed on the Riverside Stadium recently as Wayne Rooney made his managerial return to English football, over a year after departing Derby County following their relegation to League One. After managing D.C. United in the United States, Rooney was recruited by the new Birmingham City ownership group, led by hedge fund manager Tom Wagner, NFL star Tom Brady, and former Man City chief Garry Cook, who now serves as the CEO.
Cook, who had previous connections with Rooney and was slated to be Derby’s CEO during Rooney’s tenure if Chris Kirchner’s takeover had gone through, appears to have had his way. He controversially appointed the 37-year-old as the replacement for John Eustace in the St. Andrew’s hot seat.
In his first game in charge of Birmingham, Rooney seemed destined for a draw as they faced Middlesbrough, where his former Manchester United and England teammate, Michael Carrick, was in the opposing dugout. However, Middlesbrough clinched a late 1-0 victory through a goal from Morgan Rogers.
Rooney now has an opportunity to make amends swiftly and secure his first three points as Birmingham’s manager as they prepare to face Hull City, a team experiencing a dip in their recent form.
Hull City’s Performance So Far in the 2023-24 Season:
Hull City kicked off the 2023-24 season impressively, securing three wins in their first five league matches, and they remain the only team to defeat Leicester City. Nevertheless, since their last victory in late September against Stoke, Hull has been winless in four matches, with two draws and two defeats in that period. They were on track for just one loss until Ryan Fraser scored a late goal for Southampton in the 95th minute at the MKM Stadium on Saturday.
David Prutton’s Prediction for Birmingham vs. Hull City:
Sky Sports’ lead EFL presenter, David Prutton, who formerly played as a midfielder for clubs like Leeds United and Southampton, believes that Wayne Rooney is poised to secure his first victory as Birmingham’s head coach with a narrow win over Hull City.
This match will also feature a clash between two former Derby County managers, with Liam Rosenior transitioning from being on Rooney’s staff to becoming interim boss after Rooney’s departure from Pride Park last year.
In Prutton’s Sky Sports predictions column, he stated, “Facing a Middlesbrough side in such good form wasn’t the ideal start for Wayne Rooney at Birmingham, especially when there is so much pressure after such a good start to the season. Here he faces his old Derby County assistant in Liam Rosenior. He’ll know all about Rooney, but Hull is currently in a slump, without a win in four. I’ll back Birmingham here, albeit narrowly, with a score of 1-0.”
Leave a Reply