Wayne Rooney slams his Plymouth side after 6-1 loss to Norwich, insists U18s would do better

Wayne Rooney slams his Plymouth side after the 6-1 loss to Norwich, as he insists his U18s side would do better than his senior team.

Borja Sainz scored his second hat-trick of the season as Norwich got back to winning ways having been without a win in their seven previous Championship games.

Sainz put the hosts ahead after just two minutes, then added two more to take his season’s tally to 15 while Shane Duffy, Anis Ben Slimane and Ante Crnac were also on the scoresheet.

The Argyle head coach strong criticism by stating that even the club’s Under-18 team would not have conceded six goals.

While Rooney acknowledged the impact of injuries, he also emphasised that this was no excuse for the performance, indicating he would hold the players accountable in the coming days to understand why such results keep recurring.

Plymouth Argyle head coach Wayne Rooney:

“We were nowhere near good enough – we are down to the bare bones with injuries but that is no excuse.”

“We were fortunate to be only 2-1 down at half-time. You then hope for a reaction in the second half but once they made it 3-1 I thought we went under, which is very disappointing. The players just didn’t look like they thought they could get back in it.

“We need to be a lot better than that – the next 24-48 hours are not going to be very nice for the players.

“I could probably put the under-18 team out there and they wouldn’t concede six goals, so I’m very disappointed, angry, frustrated and the next 24-48 hours are not going to be very nice for the players.

“I have praised them a lot this season for their performances at home – but away needs to much better than this and we have got to get to the bottom of why it keeps happening – it can’t carry on like this.

“I just feel sorry for the fans who have come all this way – they will be not be pleased with what they have seen tonight.”

Norwich City head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup told BBC Radio Norfolk:

“I think some of the bits out there today was top.

“I’m pleased with the start, because we talked so much about getting the crowd going and lifting the stadium from the beginning of a match.

“We could have scored a lot, so that first 20 or 25 minutes was really good, and then we also highlighted at half time that the last 20 minutes of the first half was too slow.

“I’m really not happy about the goal because that’s simply too stupid and something that can actually change the moment of a match.

“But I think we responded well and most of the second half was good for us.”

Very difficult to explain, I feel for the fans” 🗣️

Plymouth boss Wayne Rooney says it’s his “‘responsibility” after his side’s 6-1 defeat at Norwich last night 🟢pic.twitter.com/m0b22dF7bp

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) November 27, 2024

🗣️ “That’s the third time it’s happened now, so we need to deal with it.”

🟢⚪️ #PAFC boss Wayne Rooney on another tough away day for his team after a 6-1 defeat against #NCFC 👇

💻 https://t.co/6MaQw3fQHo pic.twitter.com/ulgS0GYQWH

— The Pink Un (@pinkun) November 27, 2024

The boss reflects on a good night at Carrow Road 🎤 pic.twitter.com/JJyEvxKAOG

— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) November 27, 2024

Here’s how fans reacted as Wayne Rooney slams his Plymouth side after 6-1 loss to Norwich, insists the U18s would do better…

@PAFCLopez: Can you make sure Palsonn never starts again, we’ve conceded 21 goals in the 5 games he’s started 😅 Not all on him of course but he’s been the worst player by a country mile this season.

@Bigsavi: That was depressing to watch… where was the desire. Where was the fight… We can excuse defeat but we can’t excuse that.. Simply not good enough.. it’s a long way home for all of us!!! That was just not good enough @SimonHallett

@Charlie72169993: Hallet and Dewnsip, see you later x

@_jackolani7: Anyone clapping that need banning orders

@tpottage03: Most of us won’t get home till long before sunrise tomorrow and not a single player even broke into a jog. Send the coach home empty and make the players find their own way back to Plymouth. Won’t be the last thumping we’ll get this season either

@Callum17077: I’m the plymouth manager, get me out of here

@lwestlake7: Utterly shambolic and pathetic! This has to change and someone needs to act fast in getting quality players in January! This CANT continue, -16 goal difference is appalling and embarrassing! Worst in the league!!

@Kenyay: Win or bust at Bristol City for me. We’ve lacked the “basic’s” far too many times this season. Players last night were like under Foster. No heart, no desire. #pafc

@CarlBarnard15: Hope the players are made to fucking walk back after that. How many sorry’s do these away fans need to hear week in week out. Enough is enough, something needs to change. Massive, massive January coming up if we are not adrift by then. No backing then we know who to blame. #pafc

@SammieDI80: Imagine travelling all that way from Plymouth to Norwich just to see your team concede 6 🤣🤣🤣 just shows the difference between a big club and a small club #NCFC #PAFC

@homeslice68: Any chance of a job swap? Wayne to the jungle, Colleen to coach the team?

@Scudda85: Embarrassing! What do you expect when you have a league one squad in the championship. We’re going down, and there is sod all we can do about it.

@PAFCRyan: Good morning greens, just a reminder we turned down Azaz because of a poxy £1.8m fee and appointed Foster and Rooney as a managers after letting Schuey go for peanuts yet there are some absolute weapons still behind the board at this point, baffling. #pafc

@Dan_Perring: You can see the disappointment and emotion especially towards the end of that clip

@Davey_Alex1:
I can’t even bring myself to lose sleep on #pafc anymore
What did we expect, Rooney is not a coach
At not one stage has he improved players or even tweaked games,
If anything, him and the coaching staff have stagnated players.
Should never have been appointed

@argyleSRQ: Quite simple. Men versus boys. The championship level this year is exceptional and we are not. We’re a mid table league 1 side at best. Our defense needs reinforcements in January or we’re down. When did we last have a recognized RB?

@Niall_pafc: The word you’re looking for is sorry. Apologies to our amazing fans ffs

@joshcraven_: borded the argyle coach at 8:45 am, left plymouth at 9:10am, got to norwich at 5:35pm. left norwich at 10:20, won’t get home until 5:45am wednesday. lost 6-1 away at norwich and also turned a whole year older in the process 😂🎂. the joys of football #pafc

@TheoJones03: Disgraceful. 12+ journey for the team to not show up and concede 6. At what point does Hallet hold his hands up and sell up as we have been on downwards spiral from the first game of last season.