“I wish I could have 11 subs as I could have changed all 11 players at half-time, we weren’t doing the basics, I didn’t recognize the team out there on the pitch”- Wayne Rooney speaks out on Stoke defeat as he says players didn’t perform up to expectations

Birmingham manager Wayne Rooney admitted he could have replaced his whole team at half-time after a 3-1 Championship defeat to Stoke at St Andrew’s.

First-half goals from Jordan Thompson and Lynden Gooch put Stoke 2-0 ahead and Andre Vidigal made it three before Jay Stansfield’s 69th-minute consolation as Stoke ended a nine-match winless run and moved above Blues on goal difference.

Rooney has taken just nine points out of 39 since taking over, to leave Blues 19th in the table, just seven points clear of the relegation zone. The Birmingham City boss has suffered eight defeats and home fans began streaming out after Stoke’s third goal, while those that were left jeered the team off at the end.

‘Ideally, you wish you could have 11 subs as I could have changed all 11 players at half-time,’ said Rooney.

Wayne Rooney has admitted he wished he could replace his entire team at half-time during Birmingham City’s 3-1 loss to Stoke – his eighth defeat in charge of the West Midlands side. Rooney’s side have taken just nine points from a possible 39 during his time in charge

‘We just weren’t doing the right things – the basics. It wasn’t lack of effort, that would be unfair to say. It was lack of game knowledge.

‘It’s hard to put into words. I didn’t see that performance coming. I didn’t recognise the team out there on the pitch.

‘It’s frustrating because over the last few games we’d made some real strides, so this was difficult to take.

‘It wasn’t the result, or the performance, or anything we wanted to be honest. It was unrecognisable in the way we played.

‘I felt the players didn’t want to take the ball, they didn’t press the way we wanted them to.

‘The goals we conceded were crazy and we didn’t deserve anything out of the game.’

Stoke led in the 12th minute through Thompson’s 25-yard drive – his first strike for three years – which took a slight deflection off Juninho Bacuna.

Potter captain Gooch doubled their lead on the half-hour after darting down the left in a lightning counter-attack and poking the ball through goalkeeper John Ruddy’s legs.