Simon Jordan delivers Wayne Rooney to Plymouth verdict after Birmingham City sacking
Wayne Rooney could return to work in the Championship with Plymouth Argyle – almost six months after being sacked by Birmingham City
Simon Jordan has questioned Wayne Rooney’s managerial credentials and has challenged the England great to prove him wrong as he prepares to return to management after his ill-fated spell at Birmingham City.
Rooney won just two of his 15 matches in charge of Blues between October and January. He was sacked after the heavy New Year’s Day defeat at Championship play-off finalists Leeds United. Despite the efforts of Tony Mowbray, and then Gary Rowett, Blues couldn’t reverse the rut under Rooney which eventually contributed significantly to their relegation.
Despite that record, Rooney could be about to return to work in the Championship – with Plymouth, who stayed up ahead of Blues with a victory over Hull City on the final day of the regular season. They were faring comfortably under Steven Schumacher before his mid-season switch to Stoke City and required caretaker Neil Dewsnip to steer them to safety after the struggle under Ian Foster.
Pilgrims director of football Dewsnip worked with Rooney previously at Everton and the Telegraph report that it’s expected the parties will negotiate a deal in the near future. For Jordan, he believes there remains plenty for Rooney to prove in a managerial capacity.
“Evaluation too often is considered to be criticism of fault,” Jordan told talkSPORT. “I didn’t think Wayne Rooney merited the job at Birmingham City. I didn’t think he would do the job at Birmingham City. I don’t think that many people can argue that Wayne Rooney’s managerial career merited taking out a guy who had put the side in the upper echelons of the Championship.
“Wayne Rooney’s stature – did it merit a job? It didn’t prove to be so. Whether he can be successful at Plymouth is up to him. I saw him on television the other day and I thought he came across well because he was in the position where he was saying something that he meant. We are so bankrupt or devoid of people actually having the courage to say what they see.
