Birmingham Promotion Chances Decrease Upon Rooney Arrival

Birmingham City's chances of being promoted from the Championship have actually decreased with the appointment of Wayne Rooney, according to UK bookmakers.

The former England striker has been confirmed as the new manager of the Blues, replacing John Eustace who was sacked by the club on Monday. 

Rooney left MLS outfit DC United after failing to guide the club into the post-season and now returns to the Championship where he previously managed Derby County. 

But bookies have reacted by lengthening their odds on Birmingham to be promoted, with William Hill moving their price on the Blues from 16/1 to 20/1. 

Rooney has inherited a side in a healthy position in the second tier as Birmingham currently sit in sixth place after 11 matches. 

Given their form so far this season, the move to sack Eustace was met with raised eyebrows, but the club’s hierarchy have laid out ambitious plans for the future. 

Rooney will now be under pressure to deliver results at St Andrew’s as owners Shelby Companies Limited and minority partner Tom Brady aim to end City’s 13-year exile from the Premier League. 

Can the Blues challenge for automatic promotion?  

Rooney begins his reign 10 points off the pace of the automatic promotion spots as early pacesetters Leicester City and Ipswich Town have enjoyed outstanding starts to the season. 

Football betting sites have already narrowed their odds for the Foxes to return to the Premier League, while Ipswich have also seen their price slashed. 

There is plenty of work for the Blues to do to catch up and the competition in the Championship is arguably at its highest standard for a decade. 

Leeds United, Southampton, Norwich, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, West Brom and Coventry City will also be striving to break into the top two over the course of the campaign. 

As such, Birmingham’s automatic promotion odds are long at 50/1 with BetVictor,  but if Rooney can conjure up a magical run then the Blues could well find themselves in the running later in the season. 

Play-offs a more likely route 

There are 35 matches ahead of Rooney to try and cement Birmingham's spot in the play-offs and bookies believe a top six finish is a realistic goal for the Blues at odds of 9/2 with William Hill.  

Birmingham have displayed inconsistency with their form this term under Eustace. They were unbeaten in their opening five matches, winning three games, which included stoppage-time wins against Leeds and Plymouth Argyle. 

However, the Blues then lost three of their next four before rallying with back-to-back wins over Huddersfield Town and West Brom. The team spirit at St Andrew’s appears to be strong, highlighted by their dramatic late victories.  

The talent could be an issue compared to the other contenders. Siriki Dembélé, Koji Miyoshi, Jay Stansfield and Cody Drameh have performed well to date and have pedigree in the second tier, but the onus will be on Rooney to get the most out of his players over a long hard season. 

Rooney under the spotlight 

Comparisons have been made between Rooney’s appointment and the Blues’ decision to hire Gianfranco Zola, who replaced Gary Rowett in 2016.  

Under Rowett, Birmingham were positioned just outside of the Championship play-off places, but their form nosedived following Zola’s arrival. 

The Italian eventually resigned with the club in danger of dropping into the relegation zone before Harry Redknapp orchestrated a late survival surge. 

Bookmakers don’t share those fears about Rooney and Birmingham this season with long odds of 25/1 available with Parimatch for the Blues to take the plunge to League One.

However, the 37-year-old must live up to expectations and there would be natural disappointment in the Midlands if the Blues were to slide down the table.  

It has been difficult to judge Rooney’s managerial career to date amid Derby’s financial woes which resulted in a 21-point deduction. The Rams didn’t surrender their Championship status without a fight, but it was still not enough to save them from the third tier. 

Rooney’s tenure at DC United saw them make an improvement in the overall standings, although the club failed to qualify for the MLS play-offs.  

Birmingham’s bold move may be a high-risk high-reward strategy and the next seven months will be very illuminating in the managerial career of one of England’s all-time great players. 

Simon Sinclair is an experienced sports journalist, who has written for national publications for football, cricket, NFL and many more. He contributes tips on a wide range of sports for The Independent.