Birmingham’s US backers are falling for the typical new-owner tropes

WAyne Rooney's most memorable contribution as manager of Birmingham City was the unforgettable meme that summed up his ill-fated fifteen-game spell. Despondently captured leaning against a wall in the St. Andrew's tunnel, visibly irritated after a disappointing match (of which there were many), the picture was never positive for the former England and Manchester United striker at the club. His dismissal was over.

Birmingham City were sixth in the Championship when Rooney took over in October. Now, fifteen games and just two wins later, they are in twentieth place. A season that seemed to be a promotion boost has become a battle against relegation. Rooney believes he should have been given more time to make amends, but the situation had become irreparable. Keeping Rooney for longer could have done even more damage, both on and off the pitch.

Rooney should never have been given the Birmingham job in the first place. John Eustace made sure the team was moving in the right direction. His last two games in charge have been impressive back-to-back wins over Huddersfield Town and West Brom. However, Eustace was not big enough for Birmingham City's new owners, including Tom Brady. Rooney is not solely responsible for the current mess.

US-based Shelby Companies Limited completed a takeover of the St Andrew's club last July. Led by hedge fund manager Tom Wagner, the ownership group (whose name is a reference to the Birmingham TV show Peaky Blinders) initially made a good first impression. They recruited well and ensured the team had a positive season.

However, by swapping Eustace for Rooney, Birmingham City's new owners highlighted how much they still have to learn about football, especially the Championship. England's second tier is less a football league than a fighting ring where reputation matters little. It's an endurance test that requires a different kind of personality to pass. Some managers have that personality. Others don't.

At Derby County, Rooney's personality helped develop a siege mentality under difficult circumstances. However, as boss of Birmingham City, his combative nature and willingness to publicly target his own players has reportedly gone haywire. At no point did it feel like the dressing room and support were behind Rooney.

Fans were against Rooney from the start. If Shelby believed the 38-year-old's legendary status in football would be enough to win over supporters, they showed a fundamental understanding of how English football fandom works. If anything, Rooney's performances for rival clubs made it harder to gain the trust of Birmingham City's support. Should fans be grateful that someone as famous as Rooney was their club's manager?

Not all American club owners are doing badly. Three of the current four top clubs in the Premier League are American-owned, while an American investment group owns 18% of Manchester City. Americans generally own football clubs to make a profit and this can fit well with a team's sporting objectives – see how Liverpool's valuation has soared as the team has won English and European titles under the control of Fenway Sports Group. Financial and sporting ambitions can coexist.

Wrexham is another good example. The Welsh club ended its 15-year exile from the EFL after being bought by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in November 2020. Of course, Wrexham have embraced the glamor that comes with being the focus of an internationally popular TV docu-series, but it has had no impact on their football decision-making. When Reynolds and McElhenney had to hire a manager for the first time, they turned to lower division specialist Phil Parkinson rather than a big name.

Shelby faces a long process to regain the trust of Birmingham City's support. They only arrived at St Andrew's last summer and are perpetuating every negative stereotype about American club owners. Pursuing a big star in the dugout and then executing that plan within a few months fits all the common tropes. The Peaky Blinders reference in the ownership group's name now feels gimmicky, as does Brady's involvement: Does the seven-time Super Bowl winner really watch championship games every Saturday? Is his investment purely financial?

American ownership groups are not uniquely unqualified or impetuous. New owners, in any sport, usually fall prey to 'new owner syndrome', while discovering the idiosyncrasies of major sports. It's just that the English pyramid is now so saturated with American-backed investment funds and American stars that their naivete screams the loudest.

Birmingham City has enormous potential. Playing in England's second city, they certainly see Aston Villa's recent success in the Premier League as a tantalizing hint of what they could also achieve with the right leadership and investment. “The city is young, dynamic and a favorite destination for large and small companies that want to take advantage of everything the city has to offer,” Wagner wrote in an open letter last summer. “It is now time for the football club that bears his name to step forward and play its role in adding both economic and reputational value.” The Rooney disaster certainly did not contribute to this.

The best decision Shelby could make now might be to give Eustace his job back. By raising their hands and admitting their mistake, the owners may be able to get the fans back on side and put Birmingham City back on the upward trajectory they seemed to be on under the previous manager. Wagner also wrote in his letter that the club would face some “bumps in the road.” However, Rooney was a bigger bump than they expected.