'It’s clear Wayne Rooney is lost and broken – he has no idea how to turn Argyle around'

Body language expert Darren Stanton has claimed Wayne Rooney looks "absolutely dejected" and "a bit lost" at Plymouth Argyle.

Stanton, who also works as a human lie detector, has explored the Argyle manager's current mannerisms as he led the team to their third straight defeat on Tuesday evening. After a 2-1 loss at home to Swansea, Rooney appeared in the press room to discuss his turgid time as the boss of the second-bottom team and if he will be able to turn it around.

Argyle are currently 23rd in the Championship table, with just four wins from 19 games this season. The team have scored 19 goals this season, and have conceded a whopping 40 both home and away - landing them with just 17 points like Cardiff City and Portsmouth, although the latter do have a game in hand.

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This poor form from Rooney's squad - which includes a 6-1 pasting at the hands of Norwich City and a 5-0 loss to Cardiff City - has only landed him in hot water with fans, as he struggles to excuse the lack of success within the team. Stanton reckons his body language is saying a lot more.

He told OLBG that Rooney's hunched pose and crossed arms are textbook signs of dejection as he battles with hard questions from reporters. He said: "He's displaying some classic pacifying gestures. During the press conference, you could see he was hunched over with his arms interlocked. This shows he feels absolutely dejected, a bit lost and has no idea what to do next or how to turn the team's form around.

"I certainly believe he feels very much under pressure and not confident about keeping his job. His skin tone became quite red and he even began squirming."

Stanton went on to discuss the telltale signs of Rooney's anger when asked difficult questions, and insists that the 39-year-old is actually trying to shift blame away from himself. He continued: "As it goes on, you begin to see something that we call illustrators which reflects his true emotion and show he's actually p***** off at the situation and himself.

"Rooney raises his eyebrows after being asked about players who are unavailable for selection. We would call this a 'leakage signal' and you can actually tell that he is angry with the situation. I believe this shows that he is trying to attribute blame elsewhere and prove that Plymouth's underwhelming form and defensive displays are not because of him. He's trying to shift the blame and holds other people responsible."

Stanton concluded: "Overall, this is a man who is lost and has no idea how to turn Plymouth Argyle's fortunes around."

It remains to be seen whether Rooney will get the time to stave off a relegation fight with Argyle, as speculation continues to circulate regarding his position. He has a tough task ahead this weekend, with an away trip to league leaders Sheffield United on Saturday (December 14).

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