Liam Manning admits he was “disappointed” to see Wayne Rooney exit Plymouth Argyle ahead of Bristol City’s New Year’s Day clash with the Pilgrims at Home Park.
The Robins kicked off 2025 with a frustrating 2-2 draw against the Greens as a late goal from Julio Pleguezuelo ensured the points would be shared after the Reds had twice taken the lead through Anis Mehmeti and Jason Knight.
Rooney took charge of Argyle at Ashton Gate earlier this season. Pressure was already mounting on the 39-year-old then as his side failed to lay a glove on Manning’s side as City thrashed them 4-0 thanks in part to a brace from Mehmeti.
On the eve of Wednesday night’s fixture, Argyle announced that a mutual agreement had been reached to see Rooney depart Home Park. The former Manchester United star had only been in charge of the Pilgrims since the summer but had been unable to steer them clear of the relegation battle at the foot of the Championship.
Although Manning insisted he would be “disappointed” to see any manager lose their job, the Robins head coach has backed Rooney to bounce back in the future.
“One million per cent,” Manning responded when asked if it was sad to see Rooney sacked. “I’ve been sat in this position, I understand how you feel, the pressure, the will to do well, the pride when it goes well, the disappointment, the frustration and the detriment it can have when it doesn’t.
“Wayne’s playing career speaks for itself, as do elements of his managerial career. It hurts everybody when it doesn’t go well. For me, of course, really disappointed when anybody loses their job. I think it is such a difficult industry.
“I wish Wayne all the best in his future managerial career. I’m sure he’ll be itching to get back on the touchline at some point and like I said, anytime a manager loses their job, I have the utmost respect for anyone who steps into that position as a head coach or a manager.”
Rooney is the 10th manager to exit a Championship club this season, with former West Brom boss Carlos Corberan the only head coach who left of his own volition. The Spaniard departed The Hawthorns after the Baggies’ 2-0 win over Bristol City to take over Valencia in La Liga last week.
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Although Manning appears to be in a stable position at Ashton Gate currently, especially with the Reds still within touching distance of the play-off places, the Robins head coach believes most managers are now only a bad “six weeks” away from being under pressure in the second tier.
“I was talking to [Chris] Hoggy, my assistant, whose father-in-law was a hugely successful manager in the Premier League, you used to have a bad season, a bad season and you’d lose your job,” Manning explained.
“Then it went to a bad six months and now it’s almost like you have a bad month or six weeks and you’re in trouble. I think that’s the key and skill set of any club, understanding that if you want to build something and sustain it, it takes time. Unfortunately, like I said, that can bring certain challenges.”
Following Wednesday’s draw at Home Park, Plymouth Argyle remain rooted to the foot of the table and are currently four points adrift of Portsmouth and safety. City still have to play the majority of the teams in the relegation battle for a second time this term so the Robins could play a part in deciding who goes down.