A Frank Lampard-led Coventry City side thrashed Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle 4-0 on Christmas Day in a result that leaves the former Manchester United legend’s future hanging in the balance.
Lampard he took charge of the Sky Blues at the end of November, inheriting a team that had established themselves as a top-half Championship team under Mark Robins. Rooney has been in charge of Plymouth since the summer but is still waiting for his first away win with Argyle.
The south coast side were soundly beaten on their trip to the Coventry Building Society Arena, sending four first-half goals unanswered. Callum Wright completed an ignominious afternoon for Plymouth with an 87th minute red card.
Rooney and Lampard won 70 England caps together and met 28 times for their respective teams, including FA Cup finals and Champions League. But the couple is far from such bright events.
Despite being well seated at the feet of EnglandIn the second tier, Rooney insisted he was the “right man” to remain in charge of Plymouth. “Yes, I think so,” insisted the former Everton striker after the game. “I know how football works, I’m not stupid. You have to get results.
“The biggest frustration for me all season is that we look like two different teams at home and away. So psychologically, is there a problem? It’s something we’re looking at. I’m sure the fans have questions and a lot of people I will do my best to answer them.”
Lampard’s win lifted Coventry up to 15th Championship table – ten points adrift of the play-off places – but the former Chelsea manager did not revel in the victory. “The longer you do this, and I’m absolutely not a young manager anymore, you realize that this is the time when it’s going to happen,” Lampard told reporters.
Plymouth’s struggles are not Rooney’s alone. The Pilgrims have been ravaged by injuries this season, making room in Thursday’s starting XI for the full senior debut of 16-year-old midfielder Tegan Finn. The academy graduate wasn’t alive when Rooney lined up alongside Lampard for the first time in an England friendly win over Serbia and Montenegro, a nation that no longer exists in this current guise.
