Birmingham City v Bristol City

TOUCHLINE TALK
WAYNE ROONEY
Good evening and welcome back to
St Andrew’s for tonight’s Sky Bet
Championship fixture with Bristol
City.
Our defeat to Stoke City was, obviously, a big
disappointment. There is no getting away from
the fact that the performance and result were
a huge frustration for all of us. We have been
making small steps of improvement in recent
weeks, so I did not expect that on Boxing Day.
For me, that is not a reflection of what we
are as a group or as individual players. We
fell short of the expectations we place on
ourselves and as Manager, I take responsibility
for that.
We know we have conceded too many goals
and the disappointment is that we have put
in a lot of work on the defensive side of our
game. It is not about any one player. The goals
we are conceding are a result of basic errors
and it is vital we cut those out as soon as
possible.
I spoke about Romelle Donovan’s
performance after the game and at 17-yearsold,
he showed the courage and personality
to get on the ball and make things happen. It
should not be down to our youngest player to
spark us into life. Credit to him because he
was the one positive to emerge from Tuesday
evening.
That said, I also do not want to lose sight of
the performances across the previous three
games. We saw positive signs against Cardiff
City, Leicester City and Plymouth Argyle.
Although we did not manage to win them all,
we showed we can be a very good team when
we get it right.
So, the challenge is to find that consistency
heading into the New Year. The top sides and
the top players are not happy with bit-part
performances or spells in games. It is about
doing it every single day in training and every
time you step out onto the pitch.
The players are good enough. I have worked
with them for some weeks now and I know
they can do what we are asking of them.
We are seeing it in training, so it is our job to
make sure it comes out when it matters on a
matchday.
One thing I do want to be clear on is that
I completely understand the frustration
amongst our supporters. I am a football fan. I
get it. When it has not been good enough, I am
the first one to say so.
My only ask is that you get behind the players
as you have done all season. I know how much
this club means to you all and we are working
hard to give you a team which you can be
proud of. Stick with us. We will get there.
I am confident in the ability of the players,
the coaches and most importantly, myself,
that we will start to pick up results on a more
consistent basis.
Tonight, we face a Bristol City side who are
enjoying a good run of form. Liam Manning is
another good young manager in the league,
and we have to respect their capabilities.
However, we need to show what we are all
about tonight. The intensity and aggression
have to be there, and I fully expect there to be
an improvement in our performance.
Finally, I want to wish you all a very Happy
New Year and thank you for your continued
support.
Here’s to a successful 2024.
Wayne Rooney
10 | BLUES NEWS BIRMINGHAM CITY V BRISTOL CITY