Wayne Rooney admitted he was “disappointed, angry and surprised” after his Plymouth side lost 4-0 to Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday.
The 38-year-old took charge of the Championship team for the first time since replacing Ian Foster at the beginning of the summer.
Plymouth played terribly poorly throughout the game at Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday took a clear victory.
Jamal Lowe opened the scoring in the 35th minute before Brendan Galloway’s own goal extended the lead.
Wayne Rooney said he was “disappointed, angry and surprised” after his Plymouth team lost 4-0 to Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday.
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And further goals from Josh Windass and Michael Smith made their misery even worse.
Rooney looked frustrated throughout the game, the Manchester United and Everton icon was unable to turn the situation around.
And the former England captain admitted after the game that he was shocked by his team’s poor performance.
“Today it was not good enough – I think that’s clear – and I am disappointed, angry and surprised,” he said.
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“I was surprised by everything we saw in pre-season, but the fundamentals of the game were not good enough, whether it was getting the ball, tackling or being aggressive.
“We knew that Sheffield Wednesday were one of the best teams in the league last season when it came to crossing and passing – and all four of their goals came that way.”
“We had a game plan, but we didn’t execute it at all. This is a wake-up call for all of us.”
Fans treated Rooney brutally on the internet, with some even calling him the “worst coach of all time.”
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He will have to put in an important performance in Plymouth after previously struggling during his 83-day spell as manager of Birmingham City.
Rooney says he has already imposed clear rules on his players: If they do not meet his high standards, they will be dropped from his squad and excluded.
“I told them after the game that if I see a performance like that from any player again – whether he has been at the club for a long time or has just joined as a new player – then he will not play,” he said.
“In my opinion, you can lose football games, it happens, but you have to master the basics and make sure you run and tackle and get the ball, and that wasn’t the case.”
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Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth were awful as they suffered defeat against Sheffield Wednesday
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“The players know, they understand that they have to be there for every game.”
However, Rooney stresses that there is no reason to panic yet.
“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.
Wayne Rooney insists there is no need to panic despite Plymouth being crushed by Sheffield Wednesday
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“If players become available who we believe can strengthen the team, we will of course look at that. But I don’t think we can start panic buying after one game.”
Plymouth are next in action on Wednesday night when Rooney’s side face Cheltenham in the first round of the Carabao Cup.
Their next Championship clash will take place on Saturday (3pm) against Hull City.
