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Wayne Rooney expects to see at least “the basic performances” from his side Plymouth Argyle after they suffered a 4-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in their opening Championship game.
The former Derby and Birmingham manager, taking charge of his first game at Argyle, warned the players that if he saw a performance like that again, “they won’t play for him anymore”.
“From my point of view, you can lose football games, that happens, but you have to get the basics down and make sure you run and tackle and get the ball and that wasn’t the case,” Rooney told BBC Radio Devon.
“The players know, they understand that they have to be there for every game.
“I told them after the game that if I saw a player like that again – whether he had been at the club for a long time or had just joined the club as a new player – they would not play.”
Plymouth finished just one place and one point above the Championship relegation places last season and Rooney has signed six players since taking charge.
They lost long-time defender Dan Scarr after he joined newly promoted League One side Wrexham for an undisclosed fee.
Rooney’s team face Cheltenham Town in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday and he has not ruled out bringing in more players before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.
“It’s the first game of the season and of course we are disappointed,” added Rooney.
“But I don’t think it’s time to panic. I’ve seen the work we’ve done throughout the preseason and that gives me courage.
“If players become available who we believe can improve the team, we will of course look at that. But I don’t think we can start panic buying after one game.”
