Rooney calls on squad to step up at Leeds

Wayne Rooney is calling on his squad to react to recent performances by stepping up, as his Argyle side face a trip to promotion-chasing Leeds United.  

In more ways than one, that is. Not only does the Greens’ Head Coach want to see a better outing from his side than those of the previous three games, but there could be opportunities for others to step in.  

In their last three games, Argyle have lost to Cardiff City and Millwall, followed by a remarkable 3-3 home draw with Preston North End, in which the Pilgrims were 3-0 down before coming back to earn a draw.  

Joe Edwards limped off in that game, following Lewis Gibson into the physio’s room, the latter having missed out on the fixture. In addition, Darko Gyabi is unavailable for the game at Elland Road, given that Argyle’s hosts are Gyabi’s parent club.   

Reflecting while speaking to Argyle TV, Rooney said: “We've had a bad week; three tough games, but I think we can do better in all three games. 

“It's important that we know it's going to be a tough game on Saturday, but we're prepared. We're ready. We have to be resilient. We're going to suffer a little bit during the game. We need all that strength and character to help us get through the game.  

“We don't want to be fearful. We know they're a good team, they've got good players, but I think for us we have to be more compact, we have to be harder to play against, we have to get to the ball with more speed. 

“We're going to have to put in tackles, put in blocks, but also on the flip side to that, when we get the ball, can we take the ball? Can we try to play? Can we try and cause Leeds problems? If we do that, then we’ll give ourselves the best chance of getting something.  

“We're very thin. We've lost a few players over the last couple of weeks. Joe won't be available. Darko obviously isn't available, but it's a good opportunity for some players to come in. Freddie [Issaka] came in on Saturday, we’ve got young Tegan [Finn], you've got Pleggy (Julio Pleguezuelo), Matty [Sorinola]; you've got different players who might get an opportunity on Saturday.  

“It's on them to come in and show me that they want to stay in the team. I speak about this all the time to players. This season, the subs, when they've come onto the pitch, have done really well. It's a squad game, football; you're going to pick up injuries or suspensions and players get that little opportunity. Hopefully they go and take it.” 

Leeds are third in the Sky Bet Championship table, with 23 points from their 12 games so far. Seeking a return to the Premier League from where they were relegated two seasons ago, Daniel Farke’s team play in front of an expectant 36,000 supporters each home game, so are an intimidating proposition.  

However, Rooney is keen that his side throws everything into their task and uses the atmosphere at Elland Road to their advantage.  

“It's a historic club, a very big club,” said Rooney, of Leeds. “They always create a good atmosphere for the team, but it's on us now to go there, we have to be able to play in that atmosphere and try and quieten the crowd down. 

“I think the last three games for us, we’re letting goals in too easily. It needs to be more difficult for the opposition to score against us, so it’s something we've focused on this week, to try to be a bit more resilient, getting into our shape quicker, getting to the ball and being more aggressive.  

“It's a big challenge for us on Saturday, but one I think we're ready for.”