Manchester United legend Roy Keane has cautioned Wayne Rooney to brace himself for criticism following his appointment as Birmingham City manager. Rooney, the former boss of Derby County and DC United, has taken the helm at St Andrews on a three-and-a-half-year contract after the dismissal of John Eustace last week. While Rooney has encountered difficulties in his early managerial career, his new team is aiming for promotion to the Premier League this season and is currently in sixth place on the Championship table.
Rooney, the all-time leading goalscorer for Manchester United, transitioned from being a player to a manager at Derby in November 2020. At that time, Derby was at the bottom of the Championship, but they managed to climb to 18th place, securing an eight-point buffer above the relegation zone. However, they faced a late-season slump, ultimately surviving by just one point.
In the following season, Derby suffered relegation due to a total of 21 points being deducted, with 12 points for entering administration and 9 points for historical financial breaches. Rooney’s managerial record at Derby included 24 wins, 22 draws, and 39 losses in his 85 games in charge, resulting in a win rate of 28.2 percent. Subsequently, Rooney joined MLS team DC United in July 2022 but missed out on a spot in the playoffs in that season, leading to his departure. His overall record across all competitions, including two games in the US Open Cup and three in the Leagues Cup, comprised 14 wins, 14 draws, and 26 losses.
This gives Rooney an overall managerial record of 38 wins out of 139 games, with 36 draws and 65 defeats, equating to a win rate of 27.3 percent. His teams scored 138 goals, which is less than one goal per match, while conceding 186. Roy Keane, a revered figure at Manchester United, suggests that people will be quick to reference Rooney’s exceptional playing career if he encounters difficulties in his managerial role.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Keane stated, “You’ve got Lampard, Gerrard, and Rooney, but these are fortunate individuals. I was fortunate to land the job at Sunderland, my first managerial opportunity after a reasonably successful playing career. However, the challenge arises when you have a successful playing career because people immediately bring it up when you face a tough period. Wayne’s current managerial statistics might not be outstanding, but he has been dealing with challenging roles. The initial critique people will offer is that being a top player does not guarantee success as a top manager. Nevertheless, Wayne, much like myself, is still in the process of honing our managerial skills.”