John Ruddy has acknowledged that the sudden dismissal of John Eustace had a profound impact on the Birmingham City dressing room. This decision by the Blues’ board came as a surprise two weeks ago when the team was in the sixth position in the Championship and had just secured two consecutive victories. In his place, they brought in Wayne Rooney, a renowned figure from England and Manchester United, who had recently departed from DC United.
Ruddy, who expressed his gratitude towards Eustace after his departure was confirmed, has become the first player to publicly address this controversial decision. He stated, “The players were understandably shocked at the time. John did an excellent job, and that should not be forgotten. However, the owners and club management made the decision to replace him with a manager who boasts an impressive playing career, alongside his experienced coaching staff. They have brought a clear and well-defined vision of how they want us to play, and communication in the first week has been excellent.”
“Once the club made that decision, and we got over the initial shock, it was back to work, and that’s how it has been for the past week,” Ruddy added.
Under Rooney’s leadership, Birmingham City suffered a 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough in his first game in charge. This marked a significant departure from the team’s previous style. Rooney introduced an aggressive 4-3-3 formation and encouraged his players to take risks in possession, a message Ruddy took literally when he ventured out of his goal in the first half to take on three Middlesbrough players unsuccessfully. Ruddy admitted, “That was a poor decision on my part. If you examine the statistics from this year and last year, my sweeper keeper actions rank among the highest in the league. The manager has been clear about his expectations, and it reflects on me as well.”
He continued, “The incident in the first half was a lapse in judgment. However, playing high and taking calculated risks is not unfamiliar to me, and I am comfortable with it. I felt at ease with my starting positions and possession. As we become more accustomed to the manager’s style, I believe our ball retention and passing accuracy will improve.”
Ruddy concluded by saying, “It’s still early days. I don’t expect the manager to change his ideas and philosophy, nor should he. We have talented players, and I think we can achieve what he envisions.”