5 things Argyle MUST do to ensure Rooney success

How to get sceptical fans behind the new regime – and choosing an assistant

Credit: Plymouth Argyle

Welcome to One Team In Devon – a special in-depth newsletter examining the challenges the club faces with the appointment of Wayne Rooney.

It’s been a crazy week here, especially getting a call to speak to Sky Sports News for the fans’ perspective on the Rooney appointment, which was fun. I’ve included that video below if anyone is interested. It’s old news now, though.

Winding back a bit, One Team In Devon received a huge endorsement from Simon Hallett, who called it one of the “most insightful external views into Argyle around” Wild times indeed.

So, let’s jeopardise everything and discuss what the club needs to get right to make this (risky) Rooney appointment a success.

I created this newsletter with Pilgrims Podcast, and we had a fun discussion about each point on the pod this week – so please give it a listen.

Finally, I’m delighted to welcome our friends at Argyle Life to Substack.

1. Win Over Fans

The Argyle media machine has already whirred into action, but after the incredulous reaction of the fanbase to the appointment of Rooney, it’s now essential the club gets fans behind their man.

Rooney himself cited the lack of support from fans at Birmingham, following the unpopular sacking of John Eustace, as a factor in his tenure. It’s clear from club communication that they have seen data points suggesting Rooney has the potential to get Argyle firing.

But this appointment speaks more to the One Argyle philosophy of togetherness than tactical acumen.

The situation reminds me of "disagree and commit" – a management principle that seems to apply here.

Here’s the idea. You’re in a work meeting discussing a new idea that you fundamentally disagree with. Your boss decides in favour of the idea, but you are expected to implement it – even though you disagree. To stop that situation leading to abject failure, your boss is looking for you to disagree and commit.

The key part of fostering D&C is that the disagreer feels heard and that concerns are listened to and acknowledged.

Wayne Rooney: In-depth guide to Argyle's huge gamble

Some fans will never accept Rooney (until the results are positive), and many will blindly support him – but there’s a significant proportion who simply aren’t bought in. And for good reason. Rooney’s PPG data from Birmingham is awful compared to Mowbray and Eustace (with the same squad). And while there’s some promising xG data from DC United, they finished bottom of the division.

But Simon Hallett’s rather bullish interview this week, which ground the axe on several social media grievances, was in some regards, a step in that direction. I’ve spoken to sceptical fans who have been placated by it. And others who aren’t.

But I think the club is on the right path to show fans they are heard, which will help Rooney get the vociferous support he needs.

2. Get the Backroom Staff Right

The calamitous Foster era was underpinned by his lack of backroom staff, so it will be interesting to see how that is addressed under Rooney.

Kevin Nancekivell stays, and so does Simon Ireland, who had only signed for the season initially. So that doesn’t leave room for many additions – but I think it’s essential that Rooney gets his own man.

Given anecdotal evidence from The Athletic that Rooney wasn’t a hugely hands-on coach in training at Birmingham, I believe that the right appointment will be a detail-orientated assistant, who can assist Rooney in implementing his ideas onto the grass.

On Talksport this week, Mick Phelan said he was willing to do it if asked – what an appointment that would be. But I feel it’s unlikely to happen.

There were rumours that Pete Shuttleworth would come with Rooney – and that still looks likely. Shuttleworth was assistant to Rooney at DC United and Birmingham and was also at Derby. He’s a coach and analyst – a dual role that could be that detail-orientated figure, and Rooney confident, that plugs the gap. Anyone interested in Shuttleworth can read a detailed background here.

And here comes another risk of Rooney’s appointment. Hallett cited data that showed Rooney’s impact at Derby and DC United. But Liam Rosenior was Rooney’s number two at Derby, so who can fully assess whose impact was instrumental?

If Hallett wants to emulate Rooney’s tactical ideas from DC United, then getting Shuttleworth would be a good start.

3. Return to Data-Led Transfers

This summer the club must also return to doing what it does best – data-led transfers. Its summer business has been exceptional for the last few years, while January has been less so.

With Rooney on board, the temptation will be to tap into his contacts book – which will be one of the best in football. And his agent Paul Stretford will also have huge sway in the football world, and we’re sure he will be moving heaven and earth to ensure his man’s tenure is a success.

But Argyle must ensure that data drives these decisions. Rooney has already spoken about his love for data, so it feels like a great fit. But these principles seemed to be ignored when Ian Foster took over, who had his contacts and preferences.

Question marks over the choice not to properly replace Azaz, and the way in which Devine was utilised, are still fresh in the memory. So Argyle need to make sure this is another summer of sparkling business.

The signing of Ogbeta looks to be a data driven one – and came with the usual array of negativity from Bolton fans that usually signals a promising Argyle future.

4. Bold Decisions on Player Sales

This summer won’t just be defined by the players brought in but by who will leave – and the club will need to make bold decisions.

It’s no secret that the club wants to make profit on its assets to kickstart its five-year plan – so I’d wager that the transfer-out record will be broken this summer.

Selling your best players is a surefire path to relegation. Argyle have, historically, been a terrible selling club. But if it chooses to be bold, then it must reinvest that across the squad.

And the issue of Michael Cooper, not Morgan Whittaker, will be top of that list.

On the Stick to Football podcast (YouTube video above), Rooney spoke about how the goalkeeper is the most important player in his system. So potentially holding onto Cooper will be uppermost in his thoughts. But with James Trafford valued at £20m, Andrew Parkinson and Simon Hallett will surely be asking whether it’s time for Michael Cooper to be the first big-ticket outgoing.

5. Control the Cult of Rooney

The club will need to keep a tight grip on the cult of Rooney, or things could get out of control.

But what do I mean by that?

First up, there were elements around Rooney’s time at Birmingham, including the airing of views via his young son on social media. It’s unfortunate and I’m sure Rooney and Argyle will get that stuff under control.

Rooney himself has been keen to stress that he will be visible and living in Plymouth, so I don’t see a return to the security-flanked appearance that we saw when Birmingham visited Home Park.

But the club must be ready for the increased scrutiny from the wider public, media, and social media world that comes with a Rooney appointment.

Simon Hallett, who has openly admitted to taking criticism and negativity personally, must be steeled in case the early results are not positive. It’s important to remember that we are still expected to be fighting at the lower end of the table, and that will mean losing games.

If Rooney loses his opening home games, those ‘disagree and commit’ people could quickly start to turn. And social media toxicity will increase from inside and outside the fanbase. The club needs to be aware of this, and be prepared for it.

It’s going to be an exciting summer.