Tom Brady’s move from NFL superstar to football club executive has brought a whole new level of scrutiny to Birmingham City. The seven-time Super Bowl champion’s role as a minority owner is now the focus of “Built In Birmingham: Brady & the Blues,” a new Amazon Prime docuseries documenting the ups and downs of the club’s last two seasons.
Brady doesn’t hold back when discussing the Blues’ 2023-24 season. Reflecting on the turbulent time under former manager Wayne Rooney, Brady admits, “I’m a little worried about our head coach’s [Rooney’s] work ethic. I mean, I don’t know, I don’t have great instincts on that.”
Rooney, who was appointed shortly after Birmingham’s new ownership took over in August 2023, only lasted a few months at St Andrew’s. During his brief tenure, Birmingham went from playoff contenders to fighting relegation, winning just two matches before Rooney was let go. Despite a change in leadership, the club couldn’t avoid dropping down to League One.
Brady doesn’t just blame the manager for the team’s struggles. He criticizes the players, saying, “They were lazy, they were entitled and when you’re lazy and entitled, you don’t have much of a chance to succeed. We’ve got to change all the people that are associated with losing, so I think this summer there’s going to be a lot of people gone.”
This harsh assessment led to major changes at Birmingham City. Under new head coach Chris Davies, the Blues had a strong season in League One, winning the title and securing promotion back to the Championship. It was a successful campaign that saw Wrexham, co-owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, also rise up the ranks.
Now back in the Championship, Brady is focused on getting Birmingham into the Premier League. The upcoming challenge will test whether the cultural shift he demanded has truly taken hold at the club.
“Built In Birmingham: Brady & the Blues” offers fans an inside look at Brady’s approach and the standards he’s setting at the club. With Brady’s competitive drive pushing for changes behind the scenes, Birmingham City will be closely watched as they aim for English football’s top tier.
