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Wayne Rooney criticises Plymouth Argyle attacking players after Millwall defeat

Argyle head coach Wayne Rooney and his players applaud the travelling Green Army after the 1-0 Championship defeat against Millwall at The Den on Wednesday, October 23, 2024 - Photo: Alan Stanford/PPAUK
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Wayne Rooney did not believe Plymouth Argyle deserved anything out of their 1-0 Championship defeat at Millwall because they created nowhere near enough scoring chances.

The Pilgrims' boss thought every attacking player, whether those who started the match at The Den or those who came off the substitutes' bench, was not good enough. Ultimately, a 13th minute slip by left-back Bali Mumba when he was caught in possession led to Romain Esse scoring the decisive goal.

Following the 5-0 mauling at Cardiff City on Saturday, Argyle were much more solid defensively against Millwall and had a good amount of the ball but did not capitalise on that. Rooney said: "I felt we actually started the game well and had some decent control and then after the mistake from Bali you find yourself one-nil down and it gives Millwall something to hold onto.

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"Even though we had more possession of the ball we didn't do anything with it. We didn't create enough chances, we didn't get enough shots off, we didn't get enough crosses in the box, so from that point of view I don't think we deserved anything out of the game. It obviously wasn't as bad as Cardiff but I think we could have been a lot better than we were."

Rooney started with Ryan Hardie up front against Millwall and there was an attacking trio of Mustapha Bundu, Callum Wright and Morgan Whittaker behind him. Hardie, Bundu and Wright were then substituted in the 62nd minute for debutant Andre Gray, 18-year-old Freddie Issaka and Rami Al Hajj, but that did not really make much difference.

The Argyle head coach even indicated he wished in hindsight that teenage prospects Tegan Finn and Caleb Roberts, who had travelled to South London but did not make the matchday squad, had been involved in the action.

Rooney said: "You make decisions. I had young Caleb and Tegan here in the stands and I'm disappointed I didn't have them on the pitch or on the bench. I have just said to the lads there, every attacking player who entered the field tonight wasn't good enough. There's small things, especially when you come here. We know it's a difficult place to come and Millwall can be direct.

"When our defenders are clearing the ball, it's something we spoke about, our forwards have to get their bodies the right side of their centre-backs to make sure we pin them and we hold the ball up, and we didn't do that

"We allowed them to put more balls in our box. We didn't hold the ball up well enough, we didn't make enough runs in behind so I think as a whole, for all the attacking players, we didn't create nowhere near enough so that's disappointing."

He added: "I tried everything I could to change it, to freshen the attacking players up and bring a bit more energy to it, and unfortunately we just didn't manage to get close enough to their goal."

On-loan Toulouse winger Ibrahim Cissoko began a three-match ban against Millwall after his red card at Cardiff and Rooney opted to replace him with Bundu, who had not been on the bench for the previous game.

"Not just for Moose, all the attacking players weren't good enough," said Rooney. "We know Moose has got ability, he has got quality and you make decisions on what you feel is right for the game and that's what I did.

"For all the attacking players, there was more in them. I'm disappointed with that. We didn't pass the ball forward crisply enough, we didn't play between the lines quick enough, we didn't get it out wide and get crosses in the box enough, we didn't get shots off. So everything I wanted to see really we didn't do. That's frustrating."

Gray made his debut after joining Argyle as a free agent at the start of the month. "Andre is a player who will put his body in, that's the type of player he is. He's slightly different to Ryan and slightly different to Michael (Obafemi).

"So we know we have got three different types of forward. We went with Ryan tonight because we felt using his speed in behind the centre-backs could cause them problems but we didn't do it.

"We didn't run in behind, we didn't spin balls in behind. I think we need to get the balance right of when we play and when we spin it, when we put crosses in the box or when we are playing back to come out the other side.

"I felt we were too eager to keep moving the ball but not getting in behind them, not causing them enough problems. For Andre, it's just getting him up to speed and available ready to start and give me a decision to make."

Argyle have picked up just one point from six away Championship matches this season and have scored once while conceding 13 goals. Rooney said: "Of course, your confidence is never high when you don't score goals or you are not winning away from home so we need to find a way to try to do that.

"It's very difficult to win away from home in this league. I think out of all the fixtures yesterday and today there was one win away from home, so we know that.

"We need to start switching results like tonight for instance, these are games which can go either way and we keep finding ourselves just on the wrong end of that. We need a bit more energy, a bit more know-all in that final third. If we have that then maybe things are a little bit different."

Rooney continued: "We have had a very tough few days, obviously the result at Cardiff and the result tonight. The way the fixtures have gone after the international break, having two away games. I think quite a few teams have had that so it's not ideal, but we haven't been good enough in the two games.

"We are back at home on Saturday (against Preston North End). It's another difficult game and we need to try to put some points on the board but yeah, away from home, we have to be better, we have to improve."

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