Wayne Rooney sends strong Plymouth Argyle message despite comeback draw vs Preston | OneFootball

against Preston on Saturday, but manager Rooney remains irked by his sides defensive frailties.

Despite securing a hard-fought point at home to Preston North End, Plymouth Argyle manager Wayne Rooney delivered a scathing criticism of his side's defensive maturity on Saturday, after the Greens found themselves 3-0 down shortly after half-time.

Victory over Luton Town saw Coventry City leapfrog the Devonshire side in the Championship table, meaning a defeat would have seen the Pilgrims return to the relegation zone.

However, it would be the Sky Blues' opponents, Luton Town, who finished the evening in 22nd place, as second half goals from Frederick Issaka, Andre Gray and Morgan Whittaker completed a stunning comeback at Home Park, in what was surely the game of the weekend in the EFL Championship.

Performance 'nowhere near good enough' according to Wayne Rooney

Speaking to the Plymouth Herald, Rooney was unabashed in criticising his team's performance.

"I'm angry, to be honest. That performance is nowhere near good enough. I was really disappointed for an hour of that game.

"It didn't look like us at all. We were easy to play against. We weren't putting tackles in, we weren't getting to the ball. I'm obviously pleased we get a point out of the game but I can't accept that performance.

"I'm frustrated. At 3-0, you are looking at it and you are concerned. I tried to get attacking players on and get more balls in the box. We didn't do that enough, which is something we have worked on and looked at over the last couple of days, and we didn't do that at all for an hour. Really pleased to get a point at the end but the performance was nowhere near good enough.

"We have to keep working. There has been games this season where we have been really good. The last three we have hit a little bit of a blip so we need to snap out of it because today could have been a lot worse."

One player who avoided the censure of Manchester United's top goalscorer was goalkeeper Dan Grimshaw; his five saves on the day kept Argyle in the game. Rooney was sympathetic to Grimshaw, almost apologising for a busy afternoon on behalf of the leaky Green's defense.

"I felt for him because how easy they were getting through us and getting shots off in one-on-one situations. It was schoolboy defending really. We have to make sure we tighten up and be a lot harder to play against."

Rooney, a man who in his playing days reportedly thrived from tough love, will be hoping that his current alumni benefit from being hung out to dry.

Fans booing at half-time was 'understandable'

Rooney continued to speak of the growing feeling of frustration emanating from around the stadium. Surprisingly, he validated the vocal negative reaction from his new South-West faithful after the side went in 2-0 down at half time.

"They had every right to boo and have a go at whether it's me or the players because that performance isn't good enough

"But I think they saw us pushing, they saw us make changes. We were getting more balls in the box and trying to get back in the game. You could feel the atmosphere growing towards the end and I'm delighted we could at least get them a point. I was on the sideline as well and it wasn't good to watch for an hour."

Eleven of Plymouth's twelve points accrued thus far have come at home. If Plymouth are to avoid the drop this campaign, maximising points from winnable games at Home Park will undoubtedly be the key. Rooney's words indicate that he has identified this also.

"When I look at Preston, if we do the right things we win this game today, no doubt about that, so that's the frustrating part."

Positives and negatives in equal measure

Despite their manager's pragmatic response, a level head amid the delirium of completing an unlikely comeback, the result did exemplify the character and resolve of a Pilgrim's squad that appear to be gelling further week-on-week.

The game also saw a first senior goal for Cornwall-born winger Freddie Issaka, scoring on his first league start for the Devon side.

Rooney stated "I'm really pleased. It was a good game for him, I think, and a lot for him to learn from as well, but as a young player all you are hoping is they have some sort of impact.

"You know they are going to make mistakes but he gets his reward for following in from the free-kick and gets his goal. I think he has been waiting a long time to start a game and today felt like the right moment."

The 18-year-old started the comeback, firing home a rebound from a free-kick.

The talent of the Wales youth international is undeniable, though there remains question marks about whether he is truly ready to compete at this level. Despite becoming Plymouth's fifth-youngest league goalscorer in the EFL era, reviews over his performance on the whole were polarizing.

Plymouth fans will be right to be worried about their fortunes this season, given the inconsistent performances. Though to remain optimistic, the deafening roar at Home Park when the equaliser went in could well have been a watershed moment for the Pilgrim's, as unlikely moments such as these can easily galvanize fans and players alike.