'They completely collapsed!' - Wayne Rooney risks Plymouth mutiny with brutal 'character' criticism of players after another Championship horror show

Coming off the back of a 6-1 humbling by Norwich City in midweek, Plymouth couldn't really afford such a similar result when they made the trip to Bristol City on Saturday. However, instead of finding a positive response, Rooney watched on as his troops fell to a 4-0 defeat.

Rooney has divided opinion at Home Park but is not likely to have won many friends down in Devon this week after two woeful results and performances. Plymouth have dropped to 21st in the Championship table and are only two points clear of the relegation zone.

Speaking after Saturday's loss, Rooney took aim at his players for their 'collapse'. He said: "My reflections from the game at the end is big embarrassment in being honest. I know the support the fans have given us. They have come here in numbers, it was the same on Tuesday and the same today. It was very difficult walking over (after the game) to show our appreciation to the fans and not feel embarrassed.

"I made the changes to try to keep us in the game and not concede. I felt we did okay with that first half. Second half, I could feel Bristol were coming at us a little bit more and I was trying to get Andre (Gray) and Michael (Obafemi) onto the pitch to help us from a different tactical point of view and then, obviously, we concede the first goal. From there the players collapsed. Again, this is not something I haven't told the players. They completely collapsed. It was the same at Norwich away, it was the same at Leeds away.

"When you want to have a career in football you need to dig deep at times, and dig deep within yourself. It's something I have done many times as a player, and I feel the players showed a real lack of character and lack of fight after we conceded the first goal, and that is very disappointing."

Rooney added: "I'm talking a lot on the players and I never like doing that but I think it is at a point now where the players need to understand that they need to give more and show more character, more fight, more desire. I have simplified the game as much as I can today for them, to not over complicate things.

"Ultimately, it's my responsibility. I take full responsibility for the result. I pick the team, pick the tactics in which we go out into the game, but I think the players are at a stage now where they need to hear it not just in the dressing room but hear from it from outside as well that they have to show more.

"We have got a duty to this football club to show a pride, a respect, a passion, a fight for this club and the last two games I feel that hasn't been there."

Should Rooney survive the sack, he will be in charge for Plymouth's home match against Oxford United next Saturday.