With Wayne Rooney reportedly ‘two games’ away from being sacked by Plymouth Argyle, here are five potential next moves for the Manchester United legend…
Wayne Rooney benefited from having Plymouth Argyle director of football Neil Dewsnip as a pal as he secured another Championship manager’s job after last season’s disaster at Birmingham City.
The Man Utd icon was somewhat fortunate, though he did deserve credit for taking on the toughest job in the Championship as Plymouth would have been favourites for relegation with or without their celebrity in the dug-out.
The Pilgrims narrowly avoided relegation last season and Rooney’s appointment would be deemed a big success if he managed to get them over the line again.
The race for survival in any league always involves a few chastising days. In Plymouth’s case, their woeful away record leaves them winless in 10 matches. Back-to-back defeats to Norwich City and Bristol City (by a combined score of 10-1) followed their 5-0 loss at Cardiff City and their 4-0 opening-day thumping at Sheffield Wednesday.
These heavy defeats ensure Plymouth have the worst defence in the Championship, though they are 11th in the home league table after four wins, three draws and one defeat. The Pilgrims have also showcased their bouncebackability, while ‘Rooney time’ has become A Thing as his side has salvaged draws and victories at the death.
But while Plymouth’s away form and defensive lapses are cause for concern, Rooney is arguably on par for a limited squad with his side two points above the relegation zone after 18 matches.
So, it was somewhat disheartening to read inThe Telegraph that he is ‘fighting to save his job’, with Plymouth’s next two home matches – against Oxford United and Swansea City – deemed ‘crucial’ in deciding Rooney’s future. He is not without his faults as a manager, but he’s done enough to buy himself more than just two crunch games.
He can at least rest assured that he’ll be able to land another role if Plymouth push the panic button as the job he’s done with the Championship strugglers has been a far cry from that Birmingham shambles.
Rooney displayed his overwhelming willingness to strive in football management when he accepted the risky Plymouth job and this stint is unlikely to stop him from having another crack. So here are five potential next options for the 39-year-old…
WrexhamA step down in level – which was probably needed post-Birmingham – may be in Rooney’s immediate future after departing Plymouth. If so, there is perhaps no better fit for Rooney in League One than Wrexham.
Rooney’s past affiliation with the MLS makes him a recognisable figure in the ‘soccer’ world to appeal to Wrexham’s Hollywood owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Second-placed Wrexham are on the charge for a third consecutive promotion, but it does still feel like long-serving manager Phil Parkinson is at risk of losing his job within the next year.
Parkinson’s managerial success has come in League One and League Two. Few managers are better equipped than the 57-year-old in this strata of the English footballing pyramid, but his pragmatic style of play doesn’t quite suit the glamour of the Welsh club; they will surely look to move into their next phase with a younger coach and an exciting possession-based approach.
There are many better candidates out there than Rooney at this stage, but the prospect of having a head coach who is instantly recognisable for their far-reaching audience could be too tempting for Reynolds and McElhenney to ignore.
READ: Wayne Rooney is a celebrity; he doesn’t need this Plymouth hell
Salford CityIf all else fails, Rooney could lean on his Class of ’92 pals to get him back on the managerial ladder…
Salford City – who are 11th in League Two – have stagnated and are in their sixth-straight season in the fourth tier. They have swiftly gone through four managers at this level and have been upstaged by Wrexham in the process.
After last season’s relegation scrap, Salford have moved into mid-table under Karl Robinson but remain far away from where Gary Neville and co. would like them to be.
The Class of ’92 will be aware of the risk that comes with appointing a manager like Rooney, but they have failed in almost every other way and the prospect of Rooney cropping up at Salford feels the most likely of the mooted moves on this list.
Celtic“Celtic have always been a team I have followed and always wanted them to win. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity [to play for Celtic], I would have liked to at some point to try and play for Celtic.”
Rooney has quite a soft spot for Celtic and the idea of him managing the Scottish giants at some point is not out of the realms of possibility.
Admittedly, his stock would need to be boosted by a continued show of character at Plymouth and eventual survival for him to earn the Celtic hot seat.
The calibre of CV required for a manager to land the Celtic job is not what it once was and the fact that his name is ‘Wayne Rooney’ will stand him in good stead. Alternatively, a move to copy the past steps trodden by Sir Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen is another possibility if the manager of the surprise title contenders – Jimmy Thelin – is stolen away.
PREMIER LEAGUE FEATURES ON F365…
👉 Sam Morsy, the rainbow armband, indefensible Ipswich and how tolerating intolerance is never the way
👉Slot teaches Van Nistelrooy and Guardiola must ‘learn to accept defeat’ like Klopp and Ferguson
👉 Every Premier League club’s worst player in 24/25: Walker, Jesus, Ugarte, Ferguson…
EvertonThe charitable Toffees gift-wrapped Ruben Amorin his first Premier League win at the weekend, while the 4-0 loss for Sean Dyche’s side ushered their under-fire manager closer to the sack.
Ahead of their stadium move and potential takeover, Everton’s sole aim for the 2024/25 campaign is to secure Premier League survival.
As Dyche has previously proved, he’s capable of getting struggling teams over the safety line and Everton could benefit from the overall lack of quality possessed by the Premier League bottom six.
Yet, with or without survival, it feels certain that Dyche will lose his job in 2025 and Everton’s new owners will go for a fan-pleasing appointment to boost morale.
A comeback for Rooney to his boyhood club as the manager feels a long way away, but he could give the assistant manager gig a try if David Moyes completes his ‘sensational return’ to Everton.
READ: Another relentlessly grim Everton season might be about to get even worse
PundityRooney has nothing left to prove in football and certainly does not need the headache of management.
This is why he deserves immense credit for insisting on pursuing a career in management, especially considering he’s gone about it the hard way with the testing jobs he’s taken.
Rooney is yet to show that he is good at this management game and no one could fault him if he decides enough is enough partway through his journey.
This potential move is even more compelling when you consider how well he came across while working as a pundit post-Birmingham.
While punditry is rightly considered an easier move than management for retired footballers, it is still an incredibly difficult art to master and one that’s equally capable of making a fella look foolish.
From what we’ve seen so far from Rooney, he has more potential as a pundit than as a manager as his straight-talking and at times bullish takes were incredibly refreshing and he wouldn’t be out of place as the face of various broadcasters.
It could be that or a job in League One, so you’d think it would be a no-brainer for Rooney.