Birmingham can 'achieve good things' with Wayne Rooney, says Emanuel Aiwu
- Published
Emanuel Aiwu has made two Blues appearances since signing on 1 September
Birmingham's Emanuel Aiwu says they can still "achieve good things" under Wayne Rooney this season, despite the manager's poor start at St Andrew's.
Austrian defender Aiwu was signed by Rooney's predecessor John Eustace, on loan from Italian club Cremonese.
He then did not get his first start until being picked by Rooney for Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Southampton.
But Aiwu says that the managerial switch should have had no effect on the Blues dressing room.
"This is football," Aiwu told BBC Radio WM. "This is part of the business.
"We players have to make the best out of it, whichever coach is on the line and whoever we play for.
"We are very happy with Wayne Rooney and we can still achieve good things together."
Aiwu, whose only previous Blues appearance under Eustace was as a late substitute at right-back in last month's 4-1 home thumping of Huddersfield Town, started at St Mary's as a left-sided centre-back, alongside Dion Sanderson.
Despite an improved second-half showing, it still ended up as another Blues defeat as Rooney became the first City boss in 41 years to lose his first three games in charge.
But the last one that happened to, former Aston Villa legend Ron Saunders, went on to spend a further four years in charge at St Andrew's.
And Rooney himself has already compared his own false start to that of his old Manchester United team-mate Michael Carrick, external with Middlesbrough this season.
Boro picked up just two points from their first seven games, before last season's Championship play-off semi-finalists recovered to their current place in the top 10, a run which included a last-minute win over Rooney's Blues.
Rooney has so far rung the changes as he tinkers with the Blues line-up and tactics in an attempt to get the club's season back on course.
They now face a testing home game on Saturday - against an in-form Ipswich Town side promoted last season under former Manchester United reserve coach Kieran McKenna and again going well this time round, in second.
And Aiwu says that Blues have to learn from last week's display on the south coast.
"Southampton are very good at keeping the ball," he said. "But we gave away the ball too easily and we have to learn."
He also hopes he has done enough to warrant a second start, having earned his opportunity by doing well on the training ground.
"I can only influence what I can do myself," he said. "I just train well and then it is down to the manager, to see who he picks.
"I was very happy to make my first start - but I kept patient and I always knew I would get my chance, and I am very happy the coach gave me his faith."