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Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues below<script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script><ul><li>Rooney endured terrible Birmingham spell</li><li>Sacked after just two wins in 15 games</li><li>Ferdinand says Rooney expected he'd get more time</li></ul>

Revealed: Wayne Rooney thought he only needed to avoid relegation to keep Birmingham City job under Tom Brady despite warning from ex-Man Utd team-mate

In the end, though, those low expectations were proven to be untrue, as the ex-England and United forward was <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/wayne-rooney-sacked-tom-brady-birmingham-wield-axe-man-utd-legend-sorry-reign-ended-15-games/blt03d7f3428428dff9" target="_blank">relieved of his duties on Tuesday</a> after posting a dismal record of just two wins from 15 games. Those results mean Rooney dragged Birmingham down into <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/plan-failed-axed-birmingham-boss-wayne-rooney-trolled-bbc-leaving-20th-championship-torrid-83-day-reign/bltb979656b33b210d0" target="_blank">20th in the Championship table</a>, having arrived at the club with them in sixth. But while Ferdinand recognises the failings of his former club and international team-mate, he feels the job was somewhat of a poisoned chalice from the start.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The former United defender told his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw1FhVIL8Ig&amp;t=4s" target="_blank">Vibe with Five</a> podcast: "The stress levels are very different. These guys want to get a career in the game and it’s difficult. One of the key words he used was time. Managers aren’t afforded 13 weeks that Wayne feels isn’t really long enough to put his stamp on a team. We all know, Wayne’s not silly. It’s results driven and when you look on the facts it’s two wins in 15 games, they were sixth and now they’re 20th and a win percentage of just 13% and that’s damming. I think with the conversations he had behind the scenes and when he went in there, a couple of weeks a go the conversations he had he would’ve felt positive that, regardless of results, as long as he stays up he’ll get time."That hasn’t been the way it is and I’ve seen clips of Birmingham fans at games disgruntled, not happy. I always thought at the beginning and I spoke to Wayne when he got the job on the phone, I spoke to him at the time, it’s a difficult time to go into a club when the tails are up and they’re doing well, when they like the manager. The fans had a good rapport with the manager it seemed. That players seemed to like the manager and were playing for him. Nine times out of 10 a manager replaces someone who isn’t doing well. This was a different scenario and his back was against the wall from the start."

WHAT FERDINAND SAID

The sacking means Rooney posts the second-worst win percentage at the club with 13.3 per cent, behind only Gianfranco Zola, <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/tom-brady-considering-sacking-wayne-rooney-disastrous-start-birmingham-city-boss/bltefc079eb276d75c2#cs12c9061954616528" target="_blank">who won just 8.3 per cent of matches</a> between December 2016 and April 2017. The torrid spell in the West Midlands means Rooney now boasts just 26.1 per cent across his entire career, per <a href="https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1742140766674207159" target="_blank">Squawka</a>, as Birmingham owners <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/tom-brady-birmingham-wayne-rooney-burning-premier-league-promotion-hopes-avoid-relegation/blt0608162ecb69d573#cs8b5b391876a22569" target="_blank">Tom Brady and Co. face heavy criticism</a> over deciding to appoint him in the first place - especially considering the previous success of John Eustace.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

A third manager for 2023-24 awaits for Birmingham City, who still have 22 league games yet with which to salvage their season. Rooney, meanwhile, has been tipped for a return to Major League Soccer, as well as potentially following the path made by <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/steven-gerrard-al-ettifaq-henderson-saudi-arabia-pro-league/blt0945b7acda9ccf8f" target="_blank">ex-England team-mate Steven Gerrard</a> to Saudi Arabia.

WHAT NEXT?

Revealed: Wayne Rooney thought he only needed to avoid relegation to keep Birmingham City job under Tom Brady despite warning from ex-Man Utd team-mate | Goal.com

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has revealed that Wayne Rooney believed he only had to &quot;stay up&quot; to avoid the sack at Birmingham City.