Wayne Rooney ‘clinging onto his job’ after Plymouth are thrashed 4-0 by Frank Lampard’s Coventry

The defeat at the Coventry Building Society Arena has left Argyle languishing at the bottom of the Championship table, with fans openly voicing their discontent. The match saw Coventry dominate from start to finish. Tatsuhiro Sakamoto opened the scoring, followed by a brace from Josh Eccles and a goal from Ephron Mason-Clark, completing the humiliation. Boos echoed from the Plymouth supporters’ section as the final whistle confirmed yet another disappointing result.

Rooney, who took charge of Plymouth in May, is now reportedly on the brink of losing his job, according to The Sun. The team has suffered three consecutive defeats and remains winless in their last eight matches. Their record this season stands at just four victories in 22 league games, leaving the former England star scrambling to turn things around.

Addressing the loss on talkSPORT, Rooney said: "The first four or five minutes there was nowhere near good enough. The goals they score is what we identified, really how Coventry score goals and where their threats come from. I think from a defensive point of view, especially in wide areas, in full-back areas, we weren't switched on quick enough."

Rooney expressed frustration over Plymouth’s contrasting performances at home and on the road, labelling it a significant issue.

"We're two teams, basically," he said. "One team at home, one team away, and we're trying everything to try and fix that, whether that's a psychology situation, we've tried absolutely everything to try and fix that. It's a concern, of course."

Fans at the stadium added to the pressure, chanting “sacked in the morning” during the match. Rooney acknowledged the precarious nature of his position, saying: “It's football, life. As a manager, you need to get results and win games, so I know that, I'm not stupid from that point of view. So, yes, we have to dig in and find a way."

Plymouth’s struggles leave them in dire need of a turnaround, but their next fixture against Oxford United on Sunday, December 29, promises another tough challenge. With the team languishing at the foot of the table, Rooney must find a way to inspire his squad and deliver a performance capable of reigniting their season.