Wayne Rooney has warned Plymouth Argyle players they are playing for their future after a 4-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in their opening game of the season.
Rooney, who was sacked by Birmingham City after 15 games last season, has previously coached D.C. United and Derby County.
“I’ve told them after the game if I see a performance like that again from any player — whether they’ve been at the club for a long time or whether they’ve just come into the club as a new player — they will not play,” Rooney told the BBC.
“From my point of view you can lose football games, that happens, but you have to do the basics and you have to make sure you run and you tackle and you’re getting to the ball and that wasn’t there.
“The players know, they understand they have to be at it every game.”
Rooney has already signed six players this summer but is open to more new faces coming in before the end of the transfer window.
“It’s the first game of the season and of course we’re disappointed,” Rooney said. “But I don’t think it’s time to panic, I’ve seen the work we’ve done throughout the preseason which gives me encouragement.
“If players become available who we feel can improve the team then of course we’ll look at that, but I don’t think we can start panic buying after one game.”
