Simon Jordan gives his verdict on Wayne Rooney at Plymouth after Birmingham City’s dismissal

Simon Jordan has questioned Wayne Rooney’s managerial credentials and challenged the England great to prove him wrong as he prepares to return to management after his ill-fated spell at Birmingham City.

Rooney won just two of his 15 games in charge of the Blues between October and January. He was sacked after the heavy New Year’s Day defeat at Championship play-off finalists Leeds United. Despite the efforts of Tony Mowbray, and then Gary Rowett, the Blues could not reverse the rut under Rooney, which ultimately contributed significantly to their relegation.

Despite that record, Rooney could be on his way back to work in the Championship – with Plymouth staying ahead of the Blues with a win over Hull City on the final day of the regular season. They managed comfortably under Steven Schumacher before his mid-season move to Stoke City and called on caretaker Neil Dewsnip to steer them to safety after struggling under Ian Foster.

Pilgrims director of football Dewsnip worked with Rooney previously at Everton and the Telegraph report that the sides are expected to negotiate a deal in the near future. For Jordan, he believes Rooney still has a lot to prove as a manager.

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“Too often the assessment is considered to be a criticism of the mistake,” Jordan told talkSPORT. “I didn’t think Wayne Rooney deserved the job at Birmingham City. I didn’t think he would do the job at Birmingham City. I don’t think many people can argue that Wayne Rooney’s managerial career was worth taking out a guy who had put the team in the top flight of the Championship.

“Wayne Rooney’s stature – was he worth a job? He didn’t prove to be. Whether he can be successful at Plymouth is up to him. I saw him on TV the other day and I thought he came across well because he was in the position he was saying something he wanted to say.We are so bankrupt or lacking in people who actually have the courage to say what they see.

“When you see someone say that, you appreciate it. I do. When I saw Wayne Rooney say “well, stay here for a while”, never mind, get back and start winning games (in response to Virgil Van Dijk). I like this means he can now go deal with Plymouth?

“I have seen nothing in Wayne Rooney’s managerial career to indicate to me, apart from the fact that he was a wonderful footballer and that he has the courage of his convictions to articulate himself to the media, that he will be a wonderful manager. .

“Plymouth have stretched and washed, at the bottom of the Championship and League One, they’ve been in the Championship a number of times and they haven’t really been stuck. They don’t have huge finances, so what is the brief Is the request to finish the championship and stay there, if he actually gets the job?

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