Wayne Rooney's reign as Plymouth Argyle boss got off to a miserable start as they were thrashed 4-0 by Sheffield Wednesday in their first Championship game of the season.
Sunday's trip to Hillsborough represented Rooney's first match back in management since he was sacked by Birmingham City in January.
Any hopes of a flying start to his time on the south coast were quickly dashed as Danny Rohl's team dominated from the off, eventually racking up 4.85 expected goals (xG) from 30 shots at goal.
Jamal Lowe converted Svante Ingelsson's cross on the slide to hand the Owls a 35th-minute lead, then the new striker saw a header deflect in off the unfortunate Brendan Galloway for 2-0 shortly after the break.
Wednesday added further gloss to the scoreline late on, Josh Windass stabbing home an 82nd-minute third before Michael Smith came off the bench to finish from close range in stoppage time.
While the resounding victory takes Wednesday top of the early-season standings, Plymouth prop up the second-tier table ahead of Monday's match between Luton Town and Burnley.
Data Debrief: Plenty for Rooney to ponder
Plymouth were thoroughly outclassed by a Wednesday team they finished just two points behind last season, leaving their new boss with plenty to think about.
They only managed five shots to the hosts' 30, facing a huge 24 efforts from inside their own area.
Since returning from a spell in MLS with D.C. United, Rooney now has a record of two wins from 16 Championship matches with Birmingham and Plymouth (four draws, 10 losses).
Liverpool looking to strengthen says Slot amid Zubimendi links
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insists he is keen to strengthen his squad following their two pre-season friendlies at Anfield on Sunday.
The Reds are the only Premier League side yet to make a signing in the transfer window so far, and have been linked with a move for Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi.
Slot's reign as Jurgen Klopp's successor has proved to be a seamless transition, winning three of his five games in charge (two draws).
The latest of which came on his Anfield debut, securing a 4-1 win over Sevilla, followed by a goalless draw against Las Palmas in a behind-closed doors match.
And while the Dutchman is confident signings will arrive on Merseyside, he was quick to acknowledge the strong Liverpool squad he has inherited.
"I think as a club like we are, we are always looking if we can strengthen the squad. But it’s not so easy to strengthen the squad if you see both games today," said Slot.
"I’ve said many times before that I’ve inherited a really strong team and if we can and if we think it’s possible, we will strengthen the squad. But only if we think we can and if it’s possible.
Both matches at Anfield saw several first-team players in action, with all of Liverpool's representatives at the Copa America and Euro 2024 all back with the squad.
The likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Darwin Nunez all featured on Sunday, but Slot said his players are not quite where he would like them to be in regards to their fitness.
"No, ideally we would have had them from the start, all of them," Slot started. "Then, players like Virgil [van Dijk] and all the others that went off after 60, 70 minutes could have played the whole game. But I am pleased, if you look at the situation.
"These players had to go to a holiday, a lot of them came back really strong. And the ones I had from the start stayed fit for all the time.
"Yeah, pleased with the fitness level the team has, and also without injuries at the moment, and that is an important thing in pre-season."
'It is my season,' says Roma's Abraham after injury layoff
Tammy Abraham is relishing his return to Serie A action with Roma, labelling the upcoming campaign as his season to shine under Daniele De Rossi.
Abraham, who scored 27 goals in his debut season with the Italian side, spent much of last year on the sidelines after sustaining an ACL injury against Spezia in June.
Despite his absence, the Giallorossi were among the top scorers in Italy's top flight, with only Inter (89), Milan (76) and Atalanta (72) scoring more than Roma's 65 league goals.
Abraham has netted 37 goals in his 119 appearances since his move from Chelsea back in 2021, becoming the first English player in thirty years to score more than 10 goals in a Serie A season.
The Englishman is keen to hit the ground running when Roma start their league campaign against Cagliari next week.
"Since the first day here in Rome I have wanted to demonstrate my passion for football and my desire to help the club", Abraham said.
"I am a smiling and always positive person. This is my first post-injury preparation, it is my season and I want to show that I am back.
"The rumours, obviously, are nice, it means you are doing well, but I am here with Roma and I am available to do my best."
Rooney 'angry' as Plymouth tenure starts with dire defeat
Wayne Rooney described himself as "angry" after watching his Plymouth Argyle side begin their Championship campaign with a meek 4-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.
Rooney's first competitive game at the helm was one to forget as Wednesday ran riot at Hillsborough, with Jamal Lowe, Josh Windass and Michael Smith among the scorers.
The Manchester United and England great has now recorded just two wins in his last 16 Championship games in charge of Birmingham City and Plymouth, drawing four and losing 10.
Speaking to Sky Sports in the aftermath of Sunday's defeat, he hit out at his players for failing to do the basics against a well-drilled Wednesday side.
"The scoreline was deserved. We conceded four goals from four crosses. The basics of the game were not there," Rooney said.
"We didn't take the ball well enough or handle the crowd. We allowed them to get a foothold in the game, and we let it run out and conceded two more goals.
"I'm disappointed and angry, because that's not the performance I wanted to see. We spoke about their threats from crosses.
"We spoke about Barry Bannan and we let him run the game and didn't get close enough to him. That wasn't acceptable.
"The players have to earn a right to play. You can lose football games, that happens, but there's a way you want to see your players run, work and tackle.
"We've had a lot of fans come a long way, and the performance we've given wasn't good enough. We have to make sure that doesn't happen again."
Wednesday racked up 30 shots totalling a huge 4.85 expected goals (xG) in Sunday's game, with 24 of those efforts coming from inside the Plymouth area.
Plymouth, meanwhile, amassed just five attempts worth 0.31 xG, hitting the target once and only recording eight touches inside their hosts' box.
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