Three days after a disappointing opening day defeat at Sheffield, Plymouth Argyle are back in action at Home Park on Wednesday night, facing Cheltenham Town in the Carabao Cup. For manager Wayne Rooney, it marks his first home fixture in charge of the Pilgrims, a chance to atone for the 4-0 drubbing at Hillsborough that saw his side outplayed in South Yorkshire.
While the turnaround is rapid, Rooney insists that the training ground response from his players has been positive, and heâs keen to make his Home Park bow in Argyle colours.
"I've been waiting for this moment for quite a while, so I'm excited,â Rooney told Argyle TV. "Especially coming off Sunday's game, where I think we all know it wasn't good enough. Forget the result, just the basics were poor."
He elaborated on his post-match reaction, highlighting the importance of holding his players accountable for their performance. "There were some harsh words to make it clear that it's not acceptable. Iâm hoping for a strong reaction from the lads [against Cheltenham]."
Rooney detailed the challenging team meeting held on Monday. "It was a tough meeting, which I felt it needed to be. The players had to see what we saw from the performance; in my opinion, it was even worse. It was crucial for them to see that, so we went through exactly what wasn't good enough. They got it, they understood it, and in training, the reaction has been fantastic."
He continued, emphasising the positive changes he's witnessed in training. âThere's been a lot of energy, determination, winning tackles, going after the ball â exactly what I want to see. Hopefully, they can carry that into the match."
Looking ahead, Rooney expressed his desire for his team to showcase their pre-season work to the Argyle faithful. âI want the players to show the fans what we've been working on all pre-season. I want them to give the fans optimism about this season â because Sunday didnât do that.â
He also confirmed that changes to the starting lineup are on the cards, offering players a chance to impress. "There will be changes to the team. This is an opportunity for players to come in and show me they deserve to play on Saturday as well.â
Despite this, Rooney was adamant that his focus is solely on the Cheltenham encounter. âIâm not looking past Cheltenham. Itâs going to be a game that Iâm pleased to have because weâre going to have to be good at the things we were not good at on Sunday: being aggressive, winning the ball, second balls, composure on the ball. Everything we didn't do on Sunday, we'll have to do [against Cheltenham]."
The Carabao Cup draw paired Argyle with the Robins, against whom Rooney initiated his pre-season tenure. Argyle triumphed 5-1 in that pre-season friendly, but the competitive environment and the fact that Cheltenham were relegated from League One last season make this a different proposition.
As a three-time Carabao Cup winner with Manchester United, Rooney understands the importance of a strong cup run for the club and its fans. âFor any fanbase, going on a cup run is brilliant and so important. Itâs an opportunity for us to progress; you might get a big game here, or away from home. Trying to go on a cup run is crucial because I think it gives the fans something different. It's a release, if you like, from the league as well.â
He acknowledged the challenges Cheltenham will pose. âWe've seen each other a few weeks ago, but itâs a different game now, a competitive one. There's something on the line. We know they're going to come and try to rough us up. Theyâre going to try to play balls in behind, get into the front men early, and then pick up second balls. We have to be really on it to win this game. If we are on it, I think weâll be okay, but, as I said, this game is one for the players to come in and show me that they want to play - and they deserve to play.â
