Wayne Rooney receives vote of confidence from Plymouth hierarchy amid dreadful form
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Plymouth Argyle's leadership have thrown their full support behind manager Wayne Rooney despite the club sitting 21st in the Championship following a dismal run of form.
Chairman Simon Hallett and director of football Neil Dewsnip both publicly backed the former England captain during a fans' forum, emphasising their commitment to supporting rather than replacing him.
The club's hierarchy's show of faith comes after Argyle conceded 10 goals in their last two matches, including a 6-1 thrashing at Norwich City and a 4-0 defeat at Bristol City.
The Pilgrims have won just one of their last nine games and currently sit two points above the relegation zone.
Wayne Rooney has received the backing of the Plymouth hierarchy
PA
"Clearly, we are all under pressure. We are not playing well, we are not doing on the pitch what we wanted us to do," Hallett told a fans' forum at St Dennis Working Men's Club.
"What we are going to do is not think about getting rid of him and changing him. We are thinking about how we can support him," the chairman added.
Speaking to Plymouth Live, Hallett outlined potential support measures being considered: "Do we need a sports psychologist? Do we need a set piece coach?
"Do we need this, do we need that? What is it around him that is going to best help him succeed?"
"There has been no conversation about changing the head coach, none at all," he emphasised.
Director of football Neil Dewsnip echoed the chairman's support, telling BBC Radio Devon: "He's driven to turn the ship around.
"We're all behind him, we're all fighting alongside him."
Plymouth are on a nine-match streak without a win
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Dewsnip emphasised Rooney's commitment to the club's survival, stating: "He's incredibly motivated to get Argyle to safety and then onwards and upwards from there."
The director also stressed the need for realistic expectations given Plymouth's position in the Championship.
"We're competing in the bottom half of that league - you might even argue the bottom half of the bottom half of that league," Dewsnip said, noting Argyle's status as one of the smaller clubs in the division.
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Wayne Rooney has come under pressure at Plymouth
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Rooney's tenure at Plymouth has yielded just four wins from 18 league games, all coming at Home Park, alongside five draws and nine defeats.
The former Manchester United legend described the past week as "the hardest" of his managerial career, admitting it was difficult not to feel "embarrassed" after the Bristol City defeat.
The pressure now mounts ahead of crucial back-to-back home games against Oxford United and Swansea City.
This represents Rooney's first managerial role since his departure from Birmingham City in January, where he won just two games out of 15 during a three-month spell.
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