Rio Ferdinand backs former team-mate Wayne Rooney to turn things around at Birmingham City

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has backed his old team-mate Wayne Rooney to turn things around at Birmingham City, despite the 38-year-old having lost his first two matches in charge of the Blues. Rooney replaced the popular John Eustace earlier this month and has seen his side tumble down the table from 6th to 12th.

Birmingham were booed off the pitch after their 2-0 loss to Hull City on Wednesday night, while one fan was even heard yelling at Rooney to ‘f*** off back to America’.

Ferdinand is convinced the former DC United manager is the right man for Birmingham and will happily pick up the phone if he calls for advice, though says he won’t make first contact.

Ferdinand on Rooney’s Difficult Start

Asked if he has reached out to his old United pal, Ferdinand told his FIVE YouTube channel: ‘Na, in these moments I don’t really like to speak to people when they’re under a bit of pressure a little bit and they’ve lost a couple of games.

‘Hopefully he gets out of it. I’ll drop him a text and stuff but speaking to him? I’ll just let him get on with it. His head is filled man. Wazza is the type actually, if s**t is going on, he’ll call me and that’s how our relationship has always been.

‘Sometimes he can bounce stuff off me, or air what he needs to air out. We’ve had that relationship for a while. I think he’s got a couple of people he speaks to like that.

‘We might not speak to each other for a couple of months and then all of a sudden, bang! And he just vents a little bit.

‘And it’s what works for you as well, you know? That’s how our relationship is.

The Awkwardness of Change

Ferdinand added: ‘I think the awkwardness comes from the players have been used to something that was working and then that guy goes – it’s not natural that a manager goes when they’re doing well.

I think that’s probably the hardest thing for Wayne going in there, that it’s a dressing room that were used to their manager, they would have been happy because dressing rooms are happy when you’re winning, and then that’s been ripped up and they get a new hymn sheet and a new manager comes in.

I think that’s the biggest thing for Wayne, converting those guys into being believers, but you need results to get that. They could be saying he’s good, but until you’re winning players don’t genuinely believe in you until you hit three points regularly.’

Conclusion

Ferdinand is confident that Rooney will be able to turn things around at Birmingham City and get the team back on track. He believes that the key will be getting results