Wayne Rooney’s return as Championship manager was rocky, with Plymouth Argyle suffering a crushing 4-0 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday in their opening game of the season.
The former Manchester United captain, who took over at Plymouth in the hope of reviving his managerial career, was brutally honest in his assessment of the performance.
Plymouth’s performance was lackluster, managing just one shot on goal in the entire game, and Rooney’s team went into halftime trailing 1-0 after a Jamal Lowe goal.
Things only got worse in the second half: an own goal from Brendan Galloway and late goals from Josh Windass and Michael Smith sealed the defeat.
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Rooney’s stern warning to Plymouth players
After the game, Rooney did not hold back with criticism and sent a clear message to his players. “I told them after the game that if I see a player like that again – whether they have been at the club for a long time or have just joined as a new player – then they will not play,” said Rooney, stressing the importance of basic efforts in running, tackling and winning the ball.
Despite the heavy defeat, Rooney urged his team not to panic, stressing the importance of staying calm and building on the work done in pre-season.
He rejected the idea of panic buying in the transfer market, even though Plymouth has already brought in six new players this summer.
Rooney’s Plymouth will now look to bounce back when they face Cheltenham in the EFL Cup on Wednesday before returning to league action against Hull City on Saturday.
