EFL

WAYNE ROONEY has been brutally SACKED by Birmingham City just 15 games into his reign at St Andrew’s.The Manchester United and England legend, who only took the job on October 11, won just two games while in charge of Blues.
When Rooney, 38, took charge of the club they were sitting pretty in 5th under John Eustace – but have plummeted down the Championship table and are now 20th after defeat to Leeds on New Year’s Day.
Follow our live blog for all the fallout from Wayne Rooney’s sacking and the search for a new manager below…
Eustace open to Birmingham return
John Eustace is open to a return to Birmingham if approached – according to the Daily Mail.
Eustace was replaced by Wayne Rooney in October with the club sixth in the Championship.
Rooney’s disastrous tenure in charge has seen the Blues drop from sixth to twentieth in just 83 days.
And despite his brutal sacking, Eustace would be prepared to return in an attempt to save Birmingham’s season.
Credit: PA
Birmingham approach Steve Cooper
Birmingham City are set to meet with Steve Cooper to set out their proposal for him to take over from Wayne Rooney.
But, they admit it will be an uphill battle – with Cooper attracting interest from Crystal Palace.
Ralph Hasenhuttl, Reims head coach Will Still, Jesse Marsch, Paul Heckingbottom and England Under-21 head coach Lee Carsley are all also being considered.

Birmingham to approach Steve Cooper
Birmingham are set to approach Steve Cooper to become their new manager after sacking Wayne Rooney.
The out-of-work manager is as low as 1/1 in odds with some bookmakers to take over at St Andrews.
He has long been admired by Premier League Crystal Palace, which could make a deal complicated for Birmingham’s owners to do.
BBC forced to remove Wayne Rooney tweet
The BBC were forced to remove a tweet announcing Wayne Rooney’s sacking after criticism from Gary Lineker.
The official account tweeted: “By order of the Peaky Blinders, Wayne Rooney has been sacked by Birmingham City.”
The post was accompanied by a mocked-up photo of Rooney in a flat cap and suit – in full Tommy Shelby style.
But the Match of the Day host was not happy with the way his employers announced the news.
Lineker replied: “Delete this.”
And his bosses promptly listened as the tweet was soon axed as it disappeared from their timeline.

Where did it all go wrong for Rooney?
Birmingham finally pulled the trigger on sacking Wayne Rooney after their 3-0 defeat to Leeds at Elland Road last night.
The manager struggled to implement a more attacking style of play after taking over from John Eustace in October with the club sixth in the Championship.
It was a disaster from the start, with the club winning just two of Rooney’s 15 games in charge.
That’s a win percentage of just 13 per cent with the club now in real trouble of relegation – sitting 20th in The Championship table.
Credit: Reuters
What next for Roo?
Here’s a look at five jobs Rooney could end up at after being sacked as Birmingham City boss.
The Manchester United legend has said that he will take some time away as he considers his options.
But the likes of Class of 92 owned Salford City and offers from Saudi Arabia could draw him back into management sooner than he expects.

Next Birmingham boss odds
Bettingodds.com have released their odds on who will become the next manager of Birmingham following Wayne Rooney’s departure.
Former Leeds manager Jesse Marsch is the current favourite – with Birmingham’s American owners keen on the former RB Leipzig man.
The shortlist is as follows…

Jesse Marsch: 7/1
Gary Rowett: 8/1
Nathan Jones: 8/1
Scott Parker: 9/1
Steve Cooper: 9/1
Lee Carsley: 10/1
Will Still: 10/1

Roo blocked out boos
Just last night, Rooney insisted he was blocking out the boos and jeers from his own fans as he vowed to keep battling on as Birmingham boss.
Speaking after the 3-0 loss at Leeds – where chants of “get out of our club” came from the travelling supporters – Rooney said: “I’m a fighter.
“I get football is about opinions. I’ve spoken to the owners and that’s private.
“What’s clear is we need some players to come in to help with the quality of the team.
“We’re going through a difficult period, there’s no denying that, and we need to do everything we can to come out of that.
“My career wasn’t always about success.
“I scrapped through a relegation battle with Everton, so I’ve been through difficult moments as well. I believe in myself.
“It’s important we stick together. I believe we will get through this.
“The immediate goal is to get out this run of form.”
Next Birmingham boss odds
Sky Bet have put up the odds for the next permanent Birmingham City boss – and there are a few interesting inclusions.
And it is Steve Cooper, recently axed by Nottingham Forest, who has emerged as the early favourite.

Steve Cooper – 2-1 (F)
Gary Rowett – 5-1
Jesse Marsch – 6-1
John Eustace – 6-1
Tony Mowbray – 6-1
Lee Carsley – 9-1

Selected others:

Frank Lampard – 12-1
Graham Potter – 14-1
John Terry – 16-1
Neil Warnock – 16-1
Robbie Fowler – 25-1

What next for Rooney?
Rooney admitted this sacking has hurt him personally and he will take some time away from football to recover with his family.
But after that break, he does want to resume his management career.
Where could he end up, though?
While the Manchester United or England job may be a bit too far fetched, Salford City may be an option especially amid the Red Devils links.
An MLS return with David Beckham’s Inter Miami is on the cards while he could follow fellow ex-Three Lions skipper Steven Gerrard to Saudi Arabia.
Upcoming fixtures
Birmingham are next in action on Saturday afternoon when they take on Hull in the FA Cup third round.
However, the priority now is keeping the Blues in the Championship.
Their upcoming Championship fixtures are:

Swansea (H) – Jan 13
Stoke (A) – Jan 20
Middlesbrough (H) – Jan 27
West Brom (A) – Feb 3
Sheff Weds (A) – Feb 10

Wayne’s final straw
Yesterday’s defeat at Leeds proved to be the last game of Rooney’s spell as Birmingham boss.
The Blues lost 3-0 at Elland Road.
Patrick Bamford opened the scoring on 34 minutes before Dan James made it 2-0 in first-half injury time.
Crysencio Summerville then wrapped up the goals midway through the second half.
Credit: PA
Credit: Alamy
Credit: Getty
Spooner takes temporary charge
Professional development coach Steve Spooner has been placed in interim charge.
He will take men’s first-team training, supported by the remaining coaching staff – including Ashley Cole and John O’Shea – who have been told they must stay put.
Blues CEO has his say
In the Birmingham statement, CEO Garry Cook helped further explain the decision.
Cook said: “We are committed to doing what is necessary to bring success to St Andrew’s.
“Unfortunately, Wayne’s time with us did not go as planned and we have decided to move in a different direction.
“The search for a successor begins with immediate effect and we will update supporters when we have further news.”
Rooney believes he deserved more time
Wayne Rooney has also put out a statement of his own following his dismissal.
He said: “I would like to thank Tom Wagner, Tom Brady and Garry Cook for the opportunity to manage Birmingham City FC and the support they all gave me during my short period with the club.
“Football is a results business – and I recognise they have not been at the level I wanted them to be. However, time is the most precious commodity a manager requires and I do not believe 13 weeks was sufficient to oversee the changes that were needed.
“Personally, it will take me some time to get over this setback. I have been involved in professional football, as either a player or manager, since I was 16. Now, I plan to take some time with my family as I prepare for the next opportunity in my journey as a manager.
“Finally, I wish Birmingham City FC and its owners my best wishes in the pursuit of their ambitions.”
Credit: Reuters
Statement on Rooney
Here’s what Birmingham had to say…
Birmingham City has today parted company with Manager, Wayne Rooney, and First Team Coach, Carl Robinson.
Despite their best efforts, results have not met the expectations that were made clear at the outset.
Therefore, the Board feels that a change in management is in the best interests of the Football Club.
The Club’s Board and management are fully aligned and will continue to drive transformation and take bold steps to rebuild Birmingham City into the organisation its fans and community deserve.
The Board would like to place on record their sincere thanks to Wayne and Carl for all of their efforts.
Birmingham confirm Rooney sacked
The Blues have now released the statement to confirm that Wayne Rooney has indeed been sacked.
The West Midlanders announced his departure at 11am with a statement.
Roo’s wretched record
Rooney took over on October 11 with Birmingham sixth.
They are now 20th in the Championship – and are bottom of the table since Rooney took over, with just ten points earned.
That came from two wins and four draws with nine defeats from his 15 games in charge.
The Blues had a goal difference on -15 across his tenure and earned just 0.67 points per game.
Eu were not wanted
It was a match that just never worked for the former England captain.
Rooney was brought in after the controversial sacking of Eustace in October.
Eustace had the best win rate of any Birmingham boss since Gary Rowett, who was in charge at St Andrew’s from October 2014 to December 2016.
And so when the new owners gave Eustace the boot, it did not go down well with the fans who were beginning to dream of a play-off finish after the strong start to the season.
Still waiting for official confirmation
Birmingham City are yet to officially confirm Rooney’s sacking.
However, SunSport understands the decision has been made.
And it is just a matter of when, not if, the news is made public by the Blues.
Rooney SACKED
We have all the latest news from Birmingham City’s brutal decision to axe Wayne Rooney just 15 games into his reign.
The Man Utd legend won just two of those games and saw Blues plummet down the table after taking charge.
Birmingham – who controversially sacked John Eustace while the club were FIFTH – must now start their search for a new manager. More