Just as his tenure at Birmingham City did during the Christmas break last year, Wayne Rooney’s time at Plymouth Argyle hit new depths as his side found themselves 4-0 down at the break en route to a hammering by Frank Lampard’s Coventry City.

Argyle arrived at the CBS Arena bottom of the Championship table and without a win in their last seven matches. Midway through their appointment with the Sky Blues they were careering towards extending that run to eight.

The hosts barely had to wait to take the lead, with Tatsu Sakamoto putting his side 1-0 up in five minutes. Josh Eccles made it 2-0 a quarter of an hour later and Ephron Mason-Clarke put the game out of the Greens’ reach six minutes before the break. To add one final insult before half time Eccles grabbed a second after a calamitous error from Adam Randall.

READ MORE: Coventry City 4 Plymouth 0 live as Eccles (2), Mason-Clark and Tatsu pile pressure on Wayne Rooney

The capitulation had echoes of Rooney’s time at Blues in December 2023, which finally ran aground at Leeds United on New Year’s Day after one win in nine.

All of which left media and fans alike wondering what next.

Speaking at half time BBC Radio Devon commentator Anthony Wareing said: “Argyle have capitulated just before the half-time whistle.If it was not game over before, it is now. It is such basic stuff, we can only feel for the Argyle fans heading for the exits who would have gotten up so early this Boxing Day to be here.”

Plymouth fans were not as diplomatic as the afternoon unfolded.

Darryl Hawke : ROONEY OUT!! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!!!

lwestlake7 : We are doomed! Hallet and everyone on that board can you not see we haven’t got players to keep us in this league, we paid for one player on deadline day! I don’t want to believe it but we are so far out of depth every team has strengthened we are left behind! It’s shameful

James Rogers : I know there's a lot of folks calling for his head (and I'm firmly on board if that was to happen) but just to tamper expectations, we almost definitely won't sack him.

They brought in Phelan 2 weeks ago

The window is just around the corner

The money from the documentary

Tom Sleeman: Good to see us shut up shop. I'm sure the difference between a -152 and a -153 goal difference will make all the difference on the final day of the season whilst we're 20 points adrift

Ragnarok Games : Rooney out tonight

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