Wayne Rooney sends strong message to Plymouth players as ex Man Utd captain struggles in opening game of season

Wayne Rooney's return to Championship management got off to a rough start as Plymouth Argyle suffered a crushing 4-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday in their opening game of the season.

The former Manchester United captain, who took over Plymouth in hopes of reviving his managerial career, was brutally honest in his assessment of the performance.

Plymouth’s performance was lacklustre, managing only one shot on target throughout the game. Rooney’s team went into halftime trailing 1-0 after a goal by Jamal Lowe.

The second half only got worse, with an own goal from Brendan Galloway and late strikes from Josh Windass and Michael Smith sealing the defeat.

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Rooney’s stern warning to Plymouth players

Following the match, Rooney did not hold back in his criticism, sending a clear message to his players. "I've 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," Rooney said, emphasizing the need for basic effort in running, tackling, and getting to the ball.

Despite the heavy defeat, Rooney urged his team not to panic, stressing the importance of remaining calm and building on the work done in pre-season.

He dismissed 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 aim to bounce back as they face Cheltenham in the EFL Cup on Wednesday before returning to league action against Hull City on Saturday.