'Always' - Plymouth boss Wayne Rooney makes Leeds United admission with praise but refutes Whites suggestion
Wayne Rooney is set for a fresh Leeds United battle with his Plymouth side.
Wayne Rooney has made a Leeds United admission with praise but refuted a Whites suggestion as his Plymouth Argyle side head for Elland Road.
Ex-Manchester United, Everton and Derby County star Rooney faced Leeds five times as a player and the ex-England international is now approaching a fresh battle against the Whites in management with his Plymouth side.
Speaking ahead of Saturday afternoon's Championship showdown at Elland Road, Rooney has served up praise for Leeds and the club’s fans who he said “always” created a good atmosphere but declared his own team’s intent to keep them quiet.
Ahead of a game for which Plymouth are rated 16-1 chances, Rooney also quashed any theories of the contest presenting a ‘free hit’. The Pilgrims sit fourth-bottom in the Championship table, just one point clear of the drop zone and already 13 points and 18 places behind Daniel Farke’s third-placed Whites.
“It's a historic club, a very big club,” said Rooney of Leeds, as quoted by the club’s official website. “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.”
Asked at his pre-match press conference if the match was something of a ‘free hit’ - especially given Leeds’ home record, Rooney declared: “No, we are representing the football club and we are going to try and win the game.
“We know we are going to suffer at times throughout the game, that's normal, the players know that. It's a good atmosphere, Leeds are a good team and it's a difficult place to go.
“So we have to be resilient, we have to dig in, we have to pull together but then when we get the ball, can we create chances? Can we try and punish Leeds? We are going there of course to try and get a win.”