An improved Birmingham City slipped to a third straight defeat under new manager Wayne Rooney against Southampton yesterday. Players knew their roles and responsiblities, and most importantly they seemed comfortable with what Rooney had asked them to do. We must remember that the vast majority of those Southampton players wouldn’t look out of place in the Premier League. Stansfield has to startStansfield didn’t even require a minute to make his point to Rooney after coming on as a substitute. Explaining the thinking behind Stansfield’s omission from the XI, Rooney said: “That was part of the plan with Jay, Scott and Miyoshi.

Source: Express October 29, 2023 12:37 UTC