Wayne Rooney said he was “angry and surprised” by his side’s display after his first game in charge of Plymouth ended in a chastening 4-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.
Rooney is back in management having been appointed by the Pilgrims in May after being sacked from his previous job as Birmingham boss in January.
He won only two of his 15 games at Birmingham and Owls debutant Jamal Lowe, Brendan Galloway’s own goal, Josh Windass and substitute Michael Smith made it a miserable start in his latest role as the Owls ran riot at Hillsborough.
The former England striker said of Plymouth’s performance: “Disappointed, angry, surprised. From everything we’ve seen in pre-season, I was surprised.
“We were expecting a tough game and it was important to try and get through the first 20 minutes.
“The basics of the game today were not good enough. Whether that’s getting to the ball, tackling, being aggressive.
“We knew last season Sheffield Wednesday were one of the best teams in the league for crosses and cutbacks and all four goals came from cutbacks.
“Today wasn’t good enough, I think that’s clear.”
Rooney handed last season’s leading scorer Morgan Whittaker a start but left goalkeeper Michael Cooper on the bench amid speculation over both players’ futures at Home Park.
“I don’t think (the performance) was anything to do with Michael Cooper’s situation or Morgan Whittaker’s situation,” Rooney added.
“Morgan has been really happy and has shown no indication of leaving the club.
“We didn’t do the basics right. We had a gameplan and we didn’t execute the gameplan well at all.
“I’m really surprised. It’s not what I’ve seen all pre-season, both in games and on the training pitch. It’s a wake-up call for us all.
“I don’t think it’s the time to panic. It’s the first game of the season. Of course we’re disappointed, but it’s no time to panic.
“I’ve seen the work we’ve done throughout pre-season, which gives me encouragement.
“I think you have to credit Sheffield Wednesday. I thought they were really good and made it difficult for us.”
Owls boss Danny Rohl, who signed a new long-term contract in May after steering the club clear of relegation, said his side’s display was the culmination of a fruitful pre-season.
The former Germany and Bayern Munich assistant, in his first full season at Hillsborough, said: “The last six weeks we have worked hard, with a lot of long training sessions and good friendly games.
“I think it was very helpful and from the first minute today we were very good. This is the dominant football I want to see. I like it.
“Four goals, three points. We’ll keep going with this performance and then we will see.”
[(Estrela Amadora) Strength]: 1. Estrela Amadora are motivated to secure their first win of the season in this home game.2. Estrela Amadora won the previous two games in AH, boasting a commendable trend.[(Estrela Amadora) Weakness]: 1. Estrela Amadora lost 1-0 to SL Benfica in the last game at home. They started the new season poorly, with only 1 draw and 1 loss.2. Estrela Amadora conceded in the ...
[(CR Flamengo (RJ)) Strength]: 1. CR Flamengo (RJ) forward Pedro Guilherme scored a goal in the last game, showing his outstanding form.2. CR Flamengo (RJ) won 2-0 over SC Internacional in the last game, securing a 5-game winning streak across all competitions and showing hot form.3. CR Flamengo (RJ) boasted remarkable defense lately, conceding only one goal in the last 3 games.4. With excellent o...
[(Estudiantes de La Plata) Strength]: 1. Estudiantes de La Plata have performed well at home. In the last 6 home games, they have achieved 4 wins and 2 draws.2. Estudiantes de La Plata have managed to keep clean sheets in four of their last six home games, demonstrating a decent defensive performance at home.3. In the last 16 home league matches of Estudiantes de La Plata, as many as 10 games saw ...
[(Eyupspor) Strength]: 1. Eyupspor have suffered two consecutive defeats at the start of the new season. This time, playing at home, Eyupspor are highly motivated and urgently need points to reverse the decline and avoid three consecutive losses at the beginning of the season.2. Eyupspor relied heavily on home games to score points. Last season, their home record ranked 9th in the Turkish Super Li...
[(Club Atletico Belgrano) Strength]: 1. Club Atletico Belgrano have achieved a record of 5 wins, 5 draws and 1 loss in their last 11 official matches, demonstrating a decent ability to grab points.2. Club Atletico Belgrano have conceded only one goal in their last four official matches, demonstrating a solid defense.3. Club Atletico Belgrano have conceded only two goals after five rounds of the Ar...
[(Athletic Bilbao) Strength]: 1. Athletic Bilbao won the first La Liga game in the new season and are eager to continue winning. Thus, they will go all out in this home game.2. Athletic Bilbao beat Sevilla FC 3-2 in the first league game at home in the new season, starting with a win. They boasted a 46% possession rate, 14 shots with 3 on target, and 3 goals scored.3. Athletic Bilbao scored in 5 o...
[(FC Orenburg) Strength]: 1. Jordhy Thompson scored two goals in the latest game, demonstrating a rather excellent form.2. FC Orenburg drew 2-2 with FC Akhmat Grozny in their last match and have achieved a record of 2 wins and 1 draw in their last 3 games, showing a decent overall performance.3. FC Orenburg won their last 5 games in AH.[(FC Orenburg) Neutral]: 1. FC Orenburg have achieved 1 win, 3...
[(Sunderland A.F.C.) Strength]: 1. Sunderland A.F.C. were eliminated by their opponents in the first round of the EFL Cup last season. This season, the team have been promoted to the Premier League and have strengthened their lineup. They are highly motivated to compete in the EFL Cup this season.2. Sunderland A.F.C.'s main center-back Daniel Ballard has been in excellent form recently. He average...
[(Newcastle United F.C.) Strength]: 1. Newcastle United F.C. failed to get off to a winning start in the first round of the new season's league. The team are currently eager to win. If Newcastle United F.C. can secure all three points in this home game against defending champions Liverpool F.C., it will boost their morale. The team are motivated.2. In the last three seasons that Newcastle United F...
[(FC Kairat Almaty) Strength]: 1. In the first leg between the two teams, FC Kairat Almaty secured a 0-0 draw on the road. Thus, they are undoubtedly motivated to win this home game to enter the Champions League.2. Dastan Satpaev scored 3 goals and made an assist in the previous 7 Champions League qualifiers, being important on the team's offense.3. FC Kairat Almaty received 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 ...
- 1 Ruben Amorim gives cryptic response when asked about Andre Onana returning to starting XI for Fulham clash after Altay Bayindir blunder handed Arsenal victory
- 2 'Victory Bodes Well for Future' – Gasperini Delighted with Roma’s Opening Day Win
- 3 TIPS - Eintracht Frankfurt VS Werder Bremen
- 4 Transfer rumors, news: Arsenal could turn to Lyon's Fofana
- 5 Antony’s Man United Exit Hopes Rest on Fresh Real Betis Bid Within 'Next 24 Hours'
- 6 TIPS - Cerezo Osaka VS Vissel Kobe
- 7 TIPS - Gamba Osaka VS Yokohama FC
- 8 TIPS - Schalke 04 VS VfL Bochum
- 9 TIPS - Sunderland A.F.C. VS Huddersfield Town A.F.C.
- 10 TIPS - Olympique de Marseille VS Paris FC