Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney is having a difficult time at Plymouth Argyle (Image: PA)
Former Manchester United star and Plymouth boss Wayne Rooney is facing calls to step down from supporters following a crushing 4-0 defeat to Bristol City.
This heavy loss came hot on the heels of a 6-1 drubbing by Norwich City and other significant defeats, piling pressure on Rooney who has yet to achieve an away victory with the Pilgrims this season. Hopes were dashed in Saturday's clash as Bristol City claimed the lead at 57 minutes via an Anis Mehmeti shot diverted by Scott Twine, with Mehmeti nabbing a brace shortly after, while Sinclair Armstrong sealed the rout later on.
Argyle now languishes in 21st in the Championship, teetering only two points clear of relegation. This latest blow has prompted fans to voice vociferously their opinions; one stated: "It's time to go! " and another was succinct with a stark "Walk."
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A third showed empathy but suggested intervention: "Feel for the fella. Do the right thing and help him on his way, he's a mile out of his depth." A fourth fan expressed their concern, saying: "He looks so lost and out of his depth please do the right thing."
Another supporter was pessimistic about the manager's future: "He can't last much longer. Not too late for an experienced manager to take over... Otherwise Argyle are going down." A sixth simply stated: "Don't even bother."
After admitting that playing Plymouth's under-18s against Norwich might have been a better choice, Rooney didn't hold back in criticising his team. He admitted to feeling "Embarrassed really. That's the right word to use.
"After what happened on Tuesday at Norwich, we came here with a game plan to try and be in the game, for 50 minutes we were. We concede the first goal and we collapse.
"It's exactly what happened at Norwich, it's exactly what happened at Leeds. As soon as we concede a goal, the players out there collapse and we look very fragile. It's very frustrating, disappointing."
Rooney also highlighted the need for resilience: "When we're going through this run we're going through with away games, you need to dig deep and find something within you. If them players want to have the career you hope they want to have they need to do that very quick because they're not representing this club the right way."
The manager revealed his attempts to turn things around: "I've tried going at the players. I've tried encouraging and supporting them. I've tried everything really so I need to keep trying to find the right balance to fix the away performances."
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