Outspoken columnist Tom Ross has his say on the latest developments at Birmingham City
I haven’t seen such a divisive difference among certain Birmingham City supporters in a long time, especially on social media. Being impatient is the one thing you could never accuse them of.
A generation of Blues fans will recall owner Ken Weldon as he promised “sunshine around the corner,” sold the Damson Lane training facility, and advised supporters to be patient. Other than the occasional outbreak, all has remained dismal since.
The sunny spells we’ve had since then have been attributed to Lou Macari, whose brief tenure did feature a memorable day at Wembley when he won the Leyland Daf Trophy. Additionally, Barry Fry’s promotion and Double Auto Windscreen Shield helped to dispel the gloom.
The late Trevor Francis reached three play-off semi-finals and led the team to the final of the Worthington Cup.
Steve Bruce steered the Blues into the Premier League via the play-offs and kept them there for three seasons, and then, after relegation, they bounced straight back with automatic promotion.
Alex McLeish masterminded the Carling Cup win in 2011 and promotion back to the Premier League after relegation. And not forgetting Chris Hughton, who had a fantastic Europa Cup qualifying campaign, getting ten points.
Now, for the first time since the land-of-milk and honey promises made by Sullivan and Gold, the Blues have owners with massive plans, ambition, drive, and money to take the club forward and be successful on a huge scale. However, those plans are long-term and not for four months, irrespective of who the manager or head coach is.
Yet already there are some fans, if you believe social media, with fingers poised over the “self-destruct button” because they do not agree with the appointment of Wayne Rooney.
No one can argue with the results—just one point from a possible 15—but most fans would agree they were a very tough run of games.
The Blues were excellent for 60/70 minutes against an in-form Ipswich but ran out of steam and ended up drawing 2-2 after leading 2-0. Rooney picked the same team for the trip to Sunderland, as the players had earned that right. However, it was not his fault; poor defending cost the team all three goals.
Yes, as manager, he is accountable for all results, good or bad, but the players are responsible for decision-making on the pitch.
Let me take you back to the 2006–07 season, when the Blues went through a dismal patch under Bruce, winning two points from 15, with the final game of that run being a 1-0 defeat at home to Norwich. The crowd wanted him gone.
The following week, they went to Derby and won 1-0 thanks to a goal shanked in off the shin of Stephen Clemence. That changed the course of the season, and the Blues went on to win six and draw one of the next seven games. Between then and the end of the season, they won 18 and drew five, securing automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
I am not saying they are going to do that now, but I am merely highlighting how easy it is to make snap judgments after a few games.
I am not saying everything is rosy in the garden or that Rooney will be successful. What I am saying is that the owners are taking the club forward and know what they are doing.
When I attended the Rooney unveiling, CEO Garry Cook assured me he was well aware of the expectations placed on him. They are not fools; rather, they are extremely accomplished, seasoned businesspeople who will hold the manager and all other club employees to a high standard.
Have they given outstanding performances? No, but there have been glimpses of his goals with his style of front-foot football. Do I concur with all he has said? No, but I am not the management or the owner.
It’s time to exercise a little patience once more, but this time with owners who have already spent millions and are willing to spend much more to establish Blues as a global brand in the future.
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