Play forward, on the front foot, take risks, be brave; all the things trumpeted by Birmingham City’s top brass as reasons to be cheerful about a new, ambitious era led by Wayne Rooney and fronted by Tom Brady. All of those things were on show in Rooney’s first home game in charge, the only problem being those buzzwords were exhibited best not by Birmingham but Hull. Liam Delap and Jaden Philogene, two of the most exciting players in the Championship, got the goals, Philogene’s a peach from distance, killing the game.
After all the pre-match pyrotechnics and fireworks, Rooney’s rather understated entrance fell flat. His first visit to St Andrew’s, in 2002, ended with him being sent off for Everton, aged 17, for a lunge on Steve Vickers 15 minutes after entering and this proved another visit to largely forget, with away supporters basking in Birmingham’s pending defeat approaching full time.
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