Football League World
·9 July 2024
Plymouth Argyle supporters will hope to see Wayne Rooney effect in action soon: View
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Football League World
·9 July 2024
The stature of Wayne Rooney could be crucial in the coming weeks if Plymouth Argyle are to make some big signings.
Wayne Rooney's next step in management was confirmed in May, with the former Manchester United forward appointed by Plymouth Argyle as their new head coach.
Rooney has had a mixed bag so far in his coaching career, with an impressive period at Derby County being marred by woeful spells at both DC United and Birmingham City.
An issue for him at Birmingham was that it was never truly his squad, with Rooney arriving in October and being sacked in December of the same year.
Had he been given more time, it is possible that he could have worked wonders in the transfer market, with the former England international surely having numerous contacts across football.
Argyle will be hoping that this is a factor that can support Rooney at Home Park and if he can sign some top talent, then the Devon club could be set up for a good Championship season.
Having been promoted from League One in the 2022-23 season, Argyle were able to achieve their target last season of retaining Championship status. At times, they had concerning runs of form, but they managed to get over the line with players like Morgan Whittaker and Ryan Hardie crucial in their bid for survival.
This season they will be targeting a higher-placed finish in the division and Rooney was clear in his first press conference on his aims at Argyle.
He said: "I think we need to keep moving forward and keep trying to improve and certainly improve on last season.
"Hopefully at the end of a timeframe which we have in, we can get closer to that Premier League."
These ambitious remarks from the head coach indicate a need to venture into the transfer market and shape the team according to his vision. To achieve this, he will need to utilise his pulling power, especially as Argyle operate under a relatively strict budget compared to some of the top clubs in the division.
While players outside his former teams may relish the opportunity to work alongside Rooney, it seems most likely that he will be targeting his erstwhile teams for loan additions that may not have signed for Argyle otherwise.
With some of the talents that are residing in academies at Manchester United and Everton, this could be really beneficial for Plymouth and the level of player they could attract will skyrocket.
Having just started his new role following his stint as a pundit for the BBC during Euro 2024, he hasn't yet demonstrated his full influence in the market. However, there is still plenty of time for the former Toffees forward to make his presence felt, with a month and a half remaining in the transfer window.
A key aspect of Plymouth's summer will be managing the potential departure of their key players, with retaining Whittaker being a top priority.
The 23-year-old signed permanently for Argyle last summer and has been a revelation, having had a hand in 46% of their league goals last campaign.
With three years left on his contract, Rooney sees him as a firm part of their future and made that clear in his recent press conference: “Firstly, Morgan is a fantastic player, as we seen last season, but he's a really good human being as well. I played with him.
"Actually after Covid, when you could go back in groups of two, I was training with Morgan the first week, which wasn't easy at my age to try to keep up with him!
"Morgan has come in as everyone else has for pre-season. He has trained really well I have to say, with a smile on his face, and he's a quality player, there is no getting beyond that.
"I'm sure there will be interest, I'm sure there will be bids for him, but from our point of view he's an Argyle player and I want to try to move forward with Morgan.
"Of course, if you are getting crazy offers as a club you have to look at that, but we want him here. We want him to be part of the squad."
With Rooney's stance on the former Derby forward clear, it would be wise to suggest that a player with over 300 career goals could be a good influence on Whittaker. With 27 goal contributions difficult to build on, it will be about ensuring that he stays consistent during his time at Argyle and Rooney can play a pivotal role in this.
Time will tell on how the England legned can impact this transfer window for Plymouth, but surely one of the key factors behind signing him was for him to bring in some top talent.
The Green Army are yet to really see that effect but will hope that changes soon as the new season approaches.