Details of Wayne Rooney's time at Birmingham have emerged following his sacking from the club on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old was appointed in October with the Blues board confident he could guide the club into the Premier League.
However, Rooney failed to live up to expectations and was axed after winning just two of his 15 matches in charge.
It wasn't how things were meant to be for the former Manchester United and England star.
Wayne Rooney was sacked by Birmingham on Tuesday after a woeful run of form
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And Rooney is now facing an uncertain future in management as a result of his shortcomings in the Midlands.
The Sun say that, as standards slipped, the 38-year-old lost some of the fire he had as a player.
Rooney would reportedly refuse to punish weak players because he didn't want confrontation, despite being a hot-head during his time on the field.
That led to Birmingham players losing faith in their manager.
And that isn't the only concern they had with Rooney, either.
It's said that, after Monday's chastening 3-0 defeat to Leeds, Rooney didn't travel with players on the team bus.
He instead went to his home in the North West.
Rooney, it's claimed, rarely travelled with his team to away games.
The former forward wouldn't even stay in the same hotel the night before matches.
That led to a discord between Rooney and his squad, which was another contributing factor behind his dismissal.
The report also claims Rooney gave a weak final speech prior to his axing as well.
He didn't want to rip into players - and told them he would say just a few words because he wanted to avoid losing his temper.
Rooney 'didn't want to say anything he would regret'.
But that speech failed to fire up the squad and, as they journeyed back from Leeds, felt the writing was on the wall.
Rooney was only given a few months at Birmingham - and that's something the veteran was disappointed by.
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Wayne Rooney lost the support of his Birmingham players prior to his sacking
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Reacting to his dismissal on Tuesday, he said: "I would like to thank Tom Wagner, Tom Brady and Garry Cook for the opportunity to manage Birmingham City FC and the support they gave me during my short period with the club.
"Football is a results business – and I recognise they have not been at the level I wanted them to be.
"However, time is the most precious commodity a manager requires and I do not believe 13 weeks was sufficient to oversee the changes that were needed.
"Personally, it will take me some time to get over this setback. I have been involved in professional football, as either a player or manager, since I was 16.
"Now, I plan to take some time with my family as I prepare for the next opportunity in my journey as a manager.
Wayne Rooney's managerial credentials are being questioned after his dire stint as Birmingham boss
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"Finally, I wish Birmingham City FC and its owners my best wishes in the pursuit of their ambitions."
Birmingham are next in action against Hull in the FA Cup on January 6 (3pm).
