5 Wayne Rooney replacements Plymouth Argyle could consider if he is sacked

Following a terrible run of results, Wayne Rooney, the head coach of Plymouth Argyle, is under increasing pressure, and it appears that his job is now in jeopardy.

Many were taken aback by Portsmouth’s decision to hire Rooney in May after his dismal three-month stint at Birmingham City the previous season. His tenure got off to the worst possible start when his team lost 4-0 against Sheffield Wednesday on the first weekend.

Following that, the Pilgrims’ play greatly improved, and following strong home wins against Sunderland, Luton Town, and Blackburn Rovers in September and October, it appeared as though they were turning the corner.

However, Argyle has had a difficult few weeks. They lost 6-1 to Norwich City on Tuesday night and were soundly defeated 4-0 at Bristol City on Saturday, dropping them to 21st place in the Championship standings and only two points above the relegation zone.

Journalist John Percy claims that Rooney is “fighting to save his job” at Home Park, and that the two upcoming home games against Oxford United and Swansea City will be pivotal in determining his future. The hierarchy is becoming increasingly concerned about his performance in light of recent outcomes.

Although Rooney still has the support of the Pilgrims board, we looked at five possible alternatives the team might take into consideration if they decide to make a change, given how uncertain his future is.

Steven Schumacher

Although Steven Schumacher controversially left Plymouth to join Stoke City in December of last year, the team would undoubtedly be enticed to bring Rooney back to Home Park if he were to leave.

With an incredible 101 points, Schumacher guided Argyle to the League One title in the 2022–2023 season. His team had a respectable start to life back in the Championship, sitting 16th in the standings and well out of the relegation zone when he left.

Since being brutally fired by Stoke in September after just five games of the season, the 40-year-old has been unemployed. In October, it was reported that he was monitoring Rooney’s status at Plymouth in anticipation of a possible comeback.

Schumacher’s appointment would no doubt get a mixed reaction from Pilgrims supporters, and many remain angry with him for the manner of his departure, but that could quickly be forgotten if he keeps the club in the second tier.

Ryan Lowe

Ryan Lowe is rumoured to be keeping a close eye on happenings at Home Park, so Schumacher is not the only former Portsmouth manager keeping a careful eye on Rooney’s progress.

In his first season as manager, Lowe led Argyle to promotion from League Two after joining from Bury in June 2019. He left in December 2021 to take over at Preston North End, where the team was in fourth place in League One.

The 46-year-old performed admirably while he was with the Lilywhites, but he left Deepdale in August after only one game of the season, saying he believed he had done all he could to advance the team.

Given that Lowe did not enjoy the same level of success as Schumacher, it may be harder for Pilgrims supporters to forgive him if he was to return, but he has made no secret of his desire to get back into management and he would likely be among the contenders to replace Rooney.

Gary Rowett

In recent years, Plymouth has mostly hired young, inexperienced managers, but if they want to go with someone with more experience, Gary Rowett is one name they might take into consideration.

Rowett has coached Birmingham City, Derby County, Stoke City, and Millwall in the Championship. Although his style of play hasn’t always been well-liked by the teams’ fans, he has a solid record at the second division level.

Although he was unable to save the team, the 50-year-old did inspire a turnaround in fortunes, winning three and drawing two of his eight games as interim manager of Birmingham last season. However, the truth is that much of the damage had already been done before his arrival in March.

After some disastrous outcomes under Rooney, Rowett may be a safe pair of hands to help steady the ship. He was brought in too late to stop the Blues from being relegated, but he would have plenty of time to keep Portsmouth in the division.

Matt Bloomfield

Although it’s unclear if Plymouth would be prepared to pay compensation to hire a manager who is already employed by another team, Wycombe Wanderers manager Matt Bloomfield would be a wise choice.

After a sluggish start to his tenure, Bloomfield, who played his whole playing career for the Chairboys, moved from Colchester United to take over at Adams Park in February 2023 to succeed the long-serving Gareth Ainsworth. He is now beginning to demonstrate his managing abilities.

Despite having a far smaller budget than many of their promotion opponents, Wycombe has had an excellent start to the League One season and is presently leading the table after an astonishing run of eight straight league wins.

Bloomfield was linked to the Coventry City position before Frank Lampard was hired, and Championship teams were reportedly seeing how well he worked with the Chairboys. If Rooney was fired, the Pilgrims would undoubtedly bring up his name.

Michael Skubala

Lincoln City head coach Michael Skubala is another manager currently impressing in League One and he deserves to be considered for Championship vacancies.

After an outstanding second half of the season, Skubala took over at Sincil Bank in November with the Imps in mid-table. His team emerged as a play-off contender, but on the penultimate day, they faced heartbreak as they lost out on the top six.

Lincoln has handled that setback admirably, though, and despite losing their past four league games, they are still very much in the running for promotion in the third division.

Similar to Bloomfield, Skubala was rumoured to be a candidate for the Coventry position. Having worked as an academy coach at Leeds United in the past, his aptitude for nurturing young players may make him an ideal fit for Plymouth.

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