Is Rooney a masterstroke or a head loss from Plymouth? - Oppo Profile Thursday, 22nd Aug 2024 16:37 by Clive Whittingham Plymouth stunned Championship observers and put their reputation as one of the EFL's most sensibly run clubs on the line when they turned to Wayne Rooney this summer, and a 4-0 loss at Sheff Wed on day one is an inauspicious start. We spoke to the Argyle Life Podcast... How was last season? Absolute rollercoaster. There were some basket cases in the league early on (as you’ll well know), so staying up under the talented Steven Schumacher seemed a more-than-realistic target, despite having the smallest budget in the Championship - or second-smallest depending who you ask. Losing Schumacher to Stoke on the cusp of New Year was painful and damaging - as was losing Finn Azaz to Middlesbrough. Then Azaz’s likely replacement Luke Cundle following Schumacher to Stoke really left a creative hole which we tried but ultimately failed to fill. The appointment of Ian Foster and the January recruitment all seemed reasonable, but achieved varying degrees of success. The club refused to sack the floundering Foster for a while, amid fan dissent and reports of dressing-room discontent, but thankfully pulled the trigger with enough time for DoF Neil Dewsnip and Coach Kevin Nancekivell to save the season. Frankly, most of us would have all taken staying up by one point on the last day at the start of the season, but it was a lot closer than it needed to be. Plymouth in the league so far How have your games gone so far? Opening day looked pretty traumatic… Opening day was atrocious, one of the worst games we’ve played in living memory. The score was of no injustice and could have even been worse. Lots of us were enthusiastic about the season and had been won round by Rooney, but that game set off alarm bells. The team bounced back by taking apart Cheltenham in the EFL Cup and then drawing 1-1 with Hull City last weekend. That was much better, but Hull looked a really poor side themselves and even then a draw was not an unfair result. Some of the optimism has returned, but many fans are cautious about what to expect moving forward. Wayne Rooney. Discuss. Boy. Well… I can’t hate the man for applying for the job, but I am baffled by the appointment. The chairman released a statement on the appointment styled as an interview, and a great number accepted the defences ASD the appointment he put forward. Not me though. There’s either some massive flaws of logic - or some untruths - in it. Ultimately, we can only give him a fair crack, and I think the vast majority have agreed to that. Like Foster, he’ll have our support until it really is untenable. Summer transfer activity… The sale of goalkeeper Michael Cooper to Sheff Utd for £2m did feel cheap, though it’s partly because of his injury history and the fact he only has a year left on his contract, having refused an extension repeatedly. It means we get something for him, and competent Championship goalkeepers are easier to find than other positions. We’ve been linked with various goalkeepers in League One, but nothing much concrete on any of them. Conor Hazard is a capable deputy, but it’ll be a bit worrying if we haven’t found a new number one by the end of the window. Aside from a new keeper, another central midfielder is imperative. The 442 that Rooney likes to play (at least, certainly a double pivot) requires elite central midfielders at this level and we just don’t have any. Forshaw can’t keep fit and nobody else is really a Championship midfielder in a midfield two. Randell is our best but even he’s not without his flaws. It’s a position worth breaking our transfer record for. Beyond that, while it’s still early days, the signings of Muhamed Tijani, Nathanael Ogbeta and Victor Palsson do not look very promising. Realistically, we probably need more than just a keeper and central midfielder, but it’s too late to rectify that now. On that note, it’s surprising given the new TV money and Cooper money that we have spent hardly anything this summer. Even a year ago, we paid £1m each for Morgan Whittaker and Bali Mumba. Only Kornel Szucs has cost any money, and that was far less than £1m when he moved here from Hungary. Ins >>> Kornel Szucs, 22, CB, Kecskemet (Hungary), £250k >>> Victor Palsson, 33, CB, KAS Eupen (Belgium), Free >>> Nathanael Ogbeta, 23, LB, Swansea, Free >>> Darko Gyabi, 20, CM, Leeds, Loan >>> Ibrahim Cissoko, 21, LW, Toulouse, Loan >>> Muhamed Tijani, 23, CF, Slavia Prague, Loan Outs >>> Michael Cooper, 24, GK, Sheff Utd, £2m >>> Mickel Miller 28, LW, Huddersfield, Free >>> Callum Burton, 27, GK, Wrexham, Free >>> Dan Scarr, 29, CB, Wrexham, Undisclosed >>> Tyreik Wright, 22, RW, Bradford, Undisclosed >>> Zak Baker, 19, GK, Plymouth Parkway, Loan >>> Jack Endacott, 19, LB, Released >>> Oscar Halls, 19, CB, Loyola Greyhounds (US), Free >>> Jack Matthews, 18, CB, Tavistock, Loan >>> Josh Bernard, 18, CM, Tavistock, Loan Revised expectations for the season? Unfortunately, I do think we’ll go down as it stands. The Rooney system might work to win games at home against teams that aren’t so good, but if it continues in away games, then we will get beaten badly on the regular. It feels as though we need some adaptation in the way we setup, which there admittedly was some of against Hull. I’m not convinced by this outcome, however. It’s worth being patient with, after all it is a new tactic and collection of new players and that often does take time. It’s just that the battering we took on the opening day can’t happen again. The problem is, there’s going to be far better teams than Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship this season and that worries me. Links >>> Plymouth Argyle Official Website >>> Plymouth Herald – Local Press >>> Argyle Life/Green and White Podcast >>> Pasoti – Forum >>> Cornich Janner – YouTube Vlog The Twitter @loftforwords, @ArgyleLife1886 If you enjoy LoftforWords, please consider supporting the site through a subscription to our Patreon or tip us via our PayPal account loftforwords@yahoo.co.uk. Pictures - Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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