Leaving Plymouth after just six months will hurt Wayne Rooney.
After four jobs in as many years and a winning percentage of barely 25 per cent, doubters will wonder whether his managerial career could be over at the age of 39 – before most bosses even play their first game in a dugout.
Yet anyone who has spent time with Rooney will tell you that he has the drive and determination to be as good a boss as he was a player.
And while that may seem an unlikely ambition at this stage, very few people have made money betting against Rooney in the last twenty years.
In reality, Rooney has made things difficult for himself with the jobs he took on at the start of his time as manager.
Granted, openings normally come for two reasons: because the previous manager has been a success or, more often, because he inherited a dumpster fire.
For Rooney, appearing in a cash-strapped derby, faced with the almost certain inevitability of a relegation-causing points deduction, was hardly the act of someone who wanted an easy life.
Rooney led the Rams from six points clear of the Championship field to a nominal act of survival on the final day of his four months at the helm, before the EFL imposed the expected 21-point penalty to send the club down the hatch.
At least it wasn't Rooney's fault: he walked into a mess, cleaned it up, but after he was done, a giant bucket of rubbish was thrown all over the floor.
Unsurprisingly, probably aware of the impending offer from DC United in the MLS, he left Pride Park before crossing the Atlantic.
Away from home and family, Rooney led a lonely existence off the field in his rented mansion 45 minutes outside the US capital.
But his enthusiasm was crystal clear, as was his realization that this was the start of a long journey.
Speaking to SunSport before taking charge of the MLS All-Star team against Arsenal in July 2023, Rooney was clear-eyed and focused.
He said: “I know I'm not yet where I want to be as an end product, but the next few years are very important in terms of mastering the role and getting the best out of myself and ultimately the players.
“I've had to deal with languages, culture, religion and understanding all the different scenarios that can happen when you're leading at the highest level and that you have to deal with.
“Patience is the key, understanding that you are going to lose games, that you are not going to win every game.
“It's about staying calm in such situations, understanding them, facing the difficult moments and getting through them.”
Four months later, just three days after leaving DC, Rooney was unveiled in ambitious Birmingham co-owner Tom Brady on a mission to take them back to the Prem.
It didn't work. It wasn't a good fit, despite Rooney bringing in Ashley Cole – whose next job was with the England coaching staff – and John O'Shea to help him out.
Just two wins in 15 games was a terrible record, but even the best managers can have disastrous jobs.
Bobby Robson, Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho, Roberto Mancini and Arsene Wenger all suffered early setbacks and they didn't fare too badly.
But taking the Plymouth job in the summer, having survived the Championship by the skin of their teeth, left Rooney in a dangerous situation once again.
Consciously, true. But again fighting with one hand tied behind his back.
Maybe he needs to take a step back now. Not from management, but from the frontline role.
To work as an assistant to a seasoned, cunning old hand. Have an input and a key position, but are not directly in the line of fire.
Rooney is too young to be fired. The too strong will to accept it is all over.
And at some point he will surely be offered the job he can't possibly refuse – back at boyhood club Everton.
For now he has to lick his wounds. Restore his self-confidence. Maybe spend a few months in a TV studio analyzing and entertaining.
And be ready to come back – better and even more focused on proving what he truly believes his destiny is. Don't write him off.
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