Tom Brady Challenges Wayne Rooney's Leadership in Candid Birmingham City Documentary

Need to restructure the content with different wording, using HTML tags. Start with a header, then paragraphs. Ensure all key facts are included but phrased differently. Check for any quotes and rephrase them if necessary to avoid plagiarism. For example, Brady's quote about Rooney can be rephrased as "expressed doubts" instead of "questioned". Also, note the dates and figures accurately, like the £30m investment and the 111 points record. Make sure to mention the Amazon series release date (Friday), the context of Brady's ownership since August 2023, the seven managers in ten months, Rooney's 83-day tenure, and the fan's speculation about hiring Rooney for fame. The comparison with Wrexham's takeover by Reynolds and McElhenney should be included, along with Wagner's ambition to surpass Wrexham and compete with Villa in the Premier League. Check for any awkward phrasing in the original and make it flow better. Use subheadings to break sections, like "Brady's Blunt Assessment of Players" and "Ownership Ambitions: Beyond Wrexham". Also, include the anecdote about Brady struggling to find the training ground and the manager's joke about the facilities. Ensure that all the facts are preserved but presented in a new structure. Avoid using the same sentence structures as the original. Use synonyms where possible. For example, "lasting just 83 days" becomes "a mere 83 days at the helm". Finally, confirm that the HTML formatting is correct—headers with

, paragraphs with

, no markdown. Also, check that the tags are relevant and the category is accurate. Make sure the response is complete and adheres to the censorship rules without omitting any details. TITLE: Tom Brady Challenges Wayne Rooney's Leadership in Candid Birmingham City Documentary EXCERPT: Tom Brady, minority owner of Birmingham City, openly criticized Wayne Rooney's "work ethic" during the former England captain's short-lived managerial reign in a new Amazon Prime documentary. The series exposes internal tensions amid the club's chaotic 2023-24 Championship campaign, culminating in relegation and a controversial overhaul. CATEGORY: Football TAGS: Birmingham City, Wayne Rooney, Tom Brady, Championship, Amazon Prime BODY:

Brady's Blunt Assessment of Rooney

In an upcoming Amazon Prime documentary chronicling the turbulent season of Birmingham City, NFL icon Tom Brady is shown expressing doubts about the dedication of then-manager Wayne Rooney. The footage, captured in November 2023 during Brady's visit to the club's training ground, features the seven-time Super Bowl champion telling associates: "I'm a little worried about our head coach's work ethic," before admitting, "I don't have great instincts on that."

Rooney, who managed Birmingham for 83 days, attempted to address cultural issues he perceived within the team during conversations with Brady. The ex-Manchester United striker claimed the club's struggles in the Championship stemmed from a lack of focus and concentration, stating: "We've all passed a ball, kicked the ball, and run, but it's about being concentrated for 90 minutes."

Ownership's Rocky First Season

Brady's involvement with Birmingham began in August 2023 after Knighthead Capital Management, co-founded by financier Tom Wagner, acquired the club. The 2023-24 season proved disastrous, with the Blues plummeting to League One after cycling through seven managers in 10 months. Rooney's appointment in October 2023 replaced John Eustace despite Birmingham sitting sixth in the Championship at the time, but the team's form collapsed, finishing 20th.

Rooney later acknowledged the insufficiency of his 13-week tenure to enact meaningful change, a sentiment echoed by fan Paul Collins in the documentary. Collins speculated the ownership prioritized Rooney's star power over experience, stating: "What qualifies Wayne to manage Birmingham City? Nothing."

Players 'Lazy and Entitled,' Brady Claims

Brady placed blame for the relegation squarely on the players, calling them "lazy and entitled" in candid moments recorded for the series. He argued that the squad's attitude hindered success, declaring: "They were lazy, they were entitled, and when you're lazy and entitled, you don't have much of a chance to succeed."

Following relegation, Birmingham invested £30 million in transfers—a League One record—to revamp the team. The strategy paid off as the club broke the Football League points record the next season, securing 111 points to win the division.

Brady's Struggles with Club Logistics

The documentary humorously highlights Brady's unfamiliarity with the club's infrastructure. During a visit to Birmingham, his manager, Ben Rawitz, quipped: "That's the owner right there—he doesn't know where his training facility is." Rawitz also compared the club's Elite Performance and Innovation Centre to a "high school" facility, underscoring cultural clashes between American and English football expectations.

Brady's confusion extended to local rivalries, asking a colleague: "What's the other team here?" before inquiring whether Aston Villa were in the Premier League.

Ownership Ambitions: Wagner's Wrexham Comparison

Tom Wagner, co-founder of Knighthead Capital, rejected comparisons between Birmingham and Wrexham, a club co-owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. While Wrexham's Hollywood-led ascent has drawn global attention, Wagner argued Birmingham's ambitions are on a grander scale: "We have a very big club already. Our target isn't Wrexham—it's Premier League football against Villa."

The documentary contrasts both ownership models, with Birmingham's spending spree and managerial instability standing in stark opposition to Wrexham's steady, storybook promotions. Wagner's comments reflect the high-stakes vision for the Blues' revival.

The series, set to air Friday, offers an unfiltered look at the challenges of merging celebrity influence with traditional football culture. As Birmingham City climbs back to the Championship, the pressure remains on owners and players alike to prove Wagner and Brady's bold strategies were justified.