⁠⁠Plymouth Argyle set to hand Wayne Rooney successor big Home Park advantage | OneFootball

The Pilgrims have a big week ahead of them, and want to appoint a new boss before they return to league action

The search for a new manager is continuing at Plymouth Argyle, with the Greens looking for a new person in the dugout after Wayne Rooney’s departure on New Year’s Eve.

The former Birmingham City boss called time on his Home Park stint last week, after a dreadful run of one win in 14 league games saw the Pilgrims plummet to the bottom of the second tier.

Two shambolic performances at Coventry City and Oxford United over the festive period put paid to the former England international’s time in Devon, with attention now turning to who will lead Argyle going forward, with hope still remaining of staying in the second tier come the end of the season.

Plymouth Live have reported that the club are looking to name a successor before the upcoming FA Cup tie with Brentford on Saturday, meaning the new boss will have the perfect opportunity to get their tenure off to the perfect start when they return to Championship action.

New Plymouth Argyle boss will have big chance to make Home Park impact

While there were a number things that unravelled during Rooney’s time in charge of the club, the Pilgrims’ form in front of their own fans is something that continued to stand up against a number of sides in the second tier this season, with a number of strong results coming at the Theatre of Greens.

The likes of Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers and Luton Town have all been sent home pointless, while late equalisers against Watford and Bristol City have seen the hosts defy the odds time and time again, with the effect of the Green Army having a massive impact on performances at Home Park.

The fact that Argyle will return to league action with three consecutive games in front of their own fans will be of great importance then, with the likelihood that there will be a new leader of the Pilgrims by that time, and with it a rejuvenation of hope and inspiration for the remainder of the campaign.

With Oxford United coming to town next Tuesday night - in a rearranged fixture after Storm Daragh wreaked havoc last month - any new Argyle boss will have the perfect opportunity to get their life in Devon off to the perfect start, with the U’s only winning once on the road all season so far.

After that comes the visit of Marti Cifuentes’ Queens Park Rangers side, who may have started to turn a corner of late, but have won away from home just twice all season, and just once since August.

With Burnley venturing south in the midweek to follow, Argyle have three home matches in a row before having to travel to Sunderland at the end of the month, and if they can continue that never-say-die attitude in front of their own fans, things could start looking a little rosier by the time the transfer window comes to an end on February 3rd.

Plymouth Argyle continue hunt for Wayne Rooney successor

With a timeline supposedly set for the Argyle hierarchy to have made a decision regarding their new boss, a number of names have already been linked to the vacancy at Home Park.

Football League World exclusively revealed that Walsall boss Mat Sadler had been approached earlier this week, although the League Two leaders have rejected any advances as they search for promotion this season.

Former Argyle boss Steven Schumacher [pictured] has also been heavily linked to the post - according to Plymouth Live - with the 40-year-old open to work having been sacked by Stoke City earlier in the campaign.

Schumacher left Devon to join the Potters in December 2023 but fell foul of the powers that be at the bet365 Stadium in September of last year, and will have felt hard done by to have been given the boot so soon.

Having led the Pilgrims to the League One title during the 22/23 campaign, there will be mixed feelings over any return for Schuey should it come about, but if anyone knows how to turn Home Park into a fortress, it is the former Bury midfielder.