Rooney appointed as new Birmingham City manager - but how good was he at DC United?

Birmingham City have appointed Wayne Rooney as their new head coach, following confirmation from in a club statement on Wednesday. The Championship side parted ways with John Eustace on Monday, despite a relatively strong start to the season which saw the Blues suffer just three defeats from their opening 11 Championship games. However, according to Fabrizio Romano, the club’s new US-backed owners wanted a big name appointment in the dugout and have since turned to Rooney. 

“I am absolutely delighted to be joining Birmingham City Football Club at such an exciting time," said the 37-year-old head coach in a statement on the club website. "It is very clear that they have a plan and are committed to realising their ambition for the club. We are fully aligned on what is expected. I have been building my managerial career, putting myself in challenging environments, to get me ready for this opportunity. It’s a project that gives me a sense of purpose and I can’t wait to get started."

Despite being relatively young for a manager, Rooney does have experience in the English Championship, where he cut his teeth as Derby County’s interim and then full-time manager for the best part of two years. Following his stint in the division, the former Manchester United forward then took over as DC United manager, where he was coaching the club until very recently. Rooney departed MLS with a record of 14 wins, 13 draws and 26 losses, alongside an average of just 1.04 points per game won for the side. So how good was he as DC United manager and what do Birmingham City fans need to know ahead of taking on the reins at their club?

How good was Wayne Rooney as DC United manager?

Transfermarkt North America Area Manager, Manuel Veth: 

"There was much hope and anticipation when Wayne Rooney returned to D.C. United last year. Rooney had a brief spell as a player at the club and although United didn’t win any trophies, his time as a player in MLS was generally considered a success. Rooney, however, returned to England for personal reasons. But when things fell apart at Derby County, Rooney was quickly back in Washington and there was hope that he could rekindle one of the most storied clubs in the league. But ultimately Rooney missed the playoffs twice. This season he got close but United was eliminated in their final game of the regular season. It is tough to say what was lacking. Christian Benteke was signed as a DP and his 14 goals are a decent output by MLS standards, which usually doesn’t see many players score more than 20 goals a season. The same can be said about Mateusz Klich, who came in from Leeds United. The Polish midfielder scored four goals and seven assists after he joined the club. But ultimately Rooney’s team lacked depth and consistency. Although Washington is a difficult place to thrive, Rooney failed to lead a team to the playoffs that had the fourth highest salary budget in the league. With that in mind, the outcome is a bit disappointing."