WAYNE Rooney criticised his Plymouth Argyle players for not doing the basics well enough as his first match as head coach ended in a 4-0 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday.
The Pilgrims came under pressure from the start of their Championship season-opener, in front of a passionate crowd of close to 30,000 at Hillsborough, and could not at any point stem the tide of attacking play from the Owls.
Argyle trailed 1-0 at half-time, after a 35th minute goal from Jamal Lowe, and Wednesday went further ahead after an own goal from defender Brendan Galloway early in the second period. Josh Windass and substitute Michael Smith then got on the scoresheet in the closing stages.
When asked for his reaction to the opening day defeat, Rooney replied: “Disappointed, angry, surprised. I think from everything I have seen from the players throughout pre-season today was a big surprise to me.
“We expected a tough game, a good atmosphere. We knew it was important to try to get through the first 20 minutes and then try to get some composure and some calmness to the game, and we didn’t manage to do that.
This story is from the August 12, 2024 edition of The Herald.
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This story is from the August 12, 2024 edition of The Herald.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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