WONDERS OF THE PYRAMID: Birmingham must hope it’s not deja-blue after sacking John Eustace to bring in big name Wayne Rooney as manager… after their Gianfranco Zola experiment failed in 2016

• Birmingham City unveiled Wayne Rooney as their new manager this week
• It followed the sacking of John Eustace despite Blues’ good Championship form
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’ 

What do you do when your football team is on an upward trajectory and experiencing their best start to a season after years of underperforming? 

What do you do when fans are finally on side and pleased with the direction of the club after a decade of hardship?

Of course, you sack your manager. 

Wayne Rooney is an attractive appointment at Birmingham and this is by no means a dig at the former Manchester United and Everton man, but parting ways with John Eustace might be one of the most stupid sackings in recent times.

Championship owners and directors are trigger-happy at the best of times, as we know. This column argued three weeks ago for Middlesbrough supremo Steve Gibson to be patient with struggling Michael Carrick and they’ve won every game since. Thank me later.

Wayne Rooney is the new Birmingham City manager – but have Blues made a colossal mistake?

John Eustace was ousted to make way for Rooney despite a strong start to the season

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But at least if Boro were to have dismissed Carrick, they would have had a basis for doing so, given the club were in the relegation zone. Birmingham, on the other hand, are sixth in the table and full of confidence after beating local rivals West Bromwich.

In terms of starts to the season, Birmingham’s 18 points after 10 games is better than this point of any of the last six campaigns.

From watching back some of their games and assessing expected goals stats as research for this column, it is probably fair to say Birmingham have been unlucky in some instances when they have dropped points, too.

‘It is essential that the board of directors and the football management are fully aligned on the importance of implementing a winning mentality and a culture of ambition across the entire football club,’ read a statement on Monday. 

‘A new first-team manager will be announced in the coming days who will be responsible for creating an identity and clear ‘no fear’ playing style that all Birmingham City teams will adopt and embrace.’

But Blues fans now are full of fear that this sacking could derail a positive start to the season, noting that players will be furious that well-liked Eustace is gone. 

It is reminiscent of 2016, when Gary Rowett was dismissed in favour of Gianfranco Zola.

‘Gutted for Eustace,’ says Blues Breakdown, a Birmingham-facing social media channel. ‘He took the role when the club was at a real low. He galvanised and stabilised the club, connected with the fans and gave us the best finish in ages (yes, the bar was low).’

Birmingham went for another big name in Gianfranco Zola in 2016, sacking Gary Rowett – but the Italian won just two of the 24 matches he took charge of

Rowett was axed with Birmingham in seventh place in the Championship, before they slumped

Indeed, the circumstances could not be more similar to Rowett’s dismissal: team perhaps overachieving under a well-liked, up-and-coming manager, who is then replaced by a man who was one of the greats of his era on the pitch.

Let’s have a look how it turned out in December 2016. Rowett had Blues in seventh, having guided them to 10th in two full seasons at St Andrew’s. 

It is worth adding that they have not finished in the top half since the departure of Rowett, now the Millwall boss.

Zola won just two of 24 matches and resigned on Easter Monday that season after a bruising defeat at home to Burton left them just three points clear of safety. ‘I sacked myself,’ said the Italian. ‘I am sorry because I came to Birmingham with huge expectations.’

That brings us on to Rooney, who arrives with huge expectations given his standing as one of the most influential English footballers of the last two decades.

He has been met with challenging circumstances in his roles at Derby and DC United, and if Eustace had left of his own volition — Rangers were interested last month — and Rooney had been hired by Birmingham, many would argue it was an ambitious but decent appointment by Blues’ new American owners, co-led of course by NFL legend Tom Brady. 

NFL legend Tom Brady became a co-owner at the Championship club earlier this year

A Rooney/Brady combination will grab the attention of sports fans around the world

Rooney did an admirable job amid points deductions and lack of transfer activity at Pride Park and played attacking football. Liam Rosenior was assistant to Rooney there and some felt the over-achieving Hull boss was the brains of the operation.

‘Rooney’s ability to squeeze more out of a threadbare Derby squad was amazing,’ says Ryan Conway, who this week released a book on the modern turbulence of the Rams, Pride Before the Fall. 

‘He was a good motivator. And he showed he was agile in his approach. When taking over from Philip Cocu, he stripped a lot of the tactical framework back. 

‘Rooney wanted direct football down the flanks, bodies in the box and crosses coming in. He was more interested in being effective than pretty. At times, they could be soft defensively. Especially at set pieces. It frustrated Rooney. 

‘Just when it seemed like they turned a corner they’d concede a soft goal from a corner or throw in.’

Appreciating Rooney and thinking Eustace was unfairly dismissed should not be mutually exclusive. But when looking back on when Zola replaced Rowett, the feeling is that this one could come back to bite Birmingham.

PROOF QUESTIONABLE CALLS AREN’T CONFINED TO THE TOP-FLIGHT 

All eyes on refereeing mistakes and PGMOL apologies in the Premier League across the last month but there have been some shocking decisions in the Football League, too, starting with Dan Neil’s red card for Sunderland against Middlesbrough for… well, no one is really sure.

Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray fumed at the incident which changed the Tees-Wear Derby — Boro went on to win 4-0 — and said it was apparently because Neil had shouted ‘that’s a f***ing foul, ref’ from 20 yards away.

Mowbray accused Jarred Gillett of ‘spoiling the game’, saying: ‘We have a derby with 45,000 here and he gives a red card for gesticulating. Not a crunching tackle with studs up. Gesticulating. He spoiled it for the fans.’

Sunderland were thrashed 4-0 by Middlesbrough after Dan Neil was sent off for dissent 

Another barmy decision to spoil a match came at Salford’s Peninsula Stadium on Saturday when Crewe Alexandra were denied a goal for offside. 

It looked clearly onside, but that is not what caused Alex boss Lee Bell and fans to be beside themselves with fury.

While Courtney Baker-Richardson and team-mates were celebrating what they believed to be a goal to put them 2-1 up in front of swathes of travelling Railwaymen fans, referee Teej Kirk allowed Salford to restart the game and they went up the other end and scored. 

Crewe’s players were out of position and Matt Smith’s goal, which came after a four-on-two attack, put them 2-1 behind — seconds after they thought they were 2-1 up!

While many EFL players jet away on international duty, let me briefly turn your attention to AFC Wimbledon striker Ali Al-Hamadi, who is in the Iraq squad for Friday’s game against Qatar. 

Al-Hamadi, who has four goals and three assists in League Two this season, fled the war-torn country aged one. 

His father, Ibrahim, was imprisoned for protesting against Saddam Hussein’s bloody regime. 

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

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