Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney’s side were comfortably beaten in his first Championship game as Plymouth manager, and one pundit has predicted there may be tougher times ahead.
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has warned that Wayne Rooney could soon find himself at odds with his Plymouth Argyle squad.
The Manchester United and England icon endured a rocky start to his tenure as Plymouth boss following a heavy 4-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday. The fixture marked his official return to coaching following an extremely disappointing three-month-long spell at Birmingham City last season.
What has been said?
Rooney, 38, didn’t mince words in his critique of Plymouth’s performance, noting his players were missing the basics and failed to keep to their game plan. Paul Merson – who won two league titles and an FA Cup with Arsenal – thinks the Premier League’s icon’s biggest challenge will be managing expectations and maintaining patience when things don’t go their way.
It was the way they played,” he told Sky Sports. “The way Wayne talked afterwards and said they didn’t really listen, that weren’t the plan; that’s the worry. But that’s what Wayne’s up against it.”
He continued: “It’s hard. When you’ve been where he’s been, and he’s got to keep on telling these players constantly what they’ve got to do, that takes some getting used to. I think he’s gonna have to be patient, and I think [this weekend’s game against Hull] is already a big football match. I really do.”
Rooney didn’t shy away from publicly reprimanding his players following their opening-day thrashing. He hinted changes would be forthcoming if he felt certain members of his squad – regardless of their standing – weren’t pulling their weight.
“I have told them after the game if I see a performance like that again from any player – whether they’ve been at the club for a long time or whether they’ve just come into the club as a new player – they will not play,” he told BBC Radio Devon.
Rooney’s managerial record
The 38-year-old having recently taking over the managerial post at Plymouth Argyle has now managed four different clubs since 2020. Rooney was given his first managerial role at Derby County in 2020 in a caretaker role before he was given the job on a permanent basis in 2021 after a relatively successful caretaker spell.
Rooney and Derby then parted ways in 2022 after Derby were relegated to League One and amidst a lot of off-the-field issues. Rooney then went on to mange his form club DC United for 53 games in the MLS but again was largely unsuccessful which again led to another parting of ways between Rooney and the club.
The former Manchester United legend was then handed the role of manager at Birmingham City after the controversial sacking of John Eustace which saw Rooney take charge for only three months and managing the side only 15 times before he was sacked. His appointment came as a surprise to many when Plymouth Argyle announced Rooney in the summer.
What is next for Rooney and Plymouth Argyle?
The Pilgrims are back at Home Park for their first home fixture of the campaign tonight when they take on Cheltenham Town in the Carabao Cup first round. The stakes will be even higher in Saturday’s clash at home to Hull City, with the squad keen to impress a boss who is already under pressure. Rooney will be eager to get his first win as Plymouth boss wrapped up tonight.