- Sheff Wed picked up the sixth most points from February onwards last term
- Plymouth scored just 16 times in their final 20 games last season
- Recommended bet: Sheffield Wednesday to win

Wayne Rooney begins his reign as Plymouth Argyle’s new manager with a difficult visit to Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday.

The Pilgrims barely escaped the drop last term and they have turned to Rooney — who struggled at Birmingham City before the Blues dropped into League One.

Wednesday’s only managerial issue is how long they can hold on to Danny Rohl. The German boss impressed on ITV’s Euro 2024 coverage after a fantastic salvation job at Hillsborough. With him in charge, the Owls are on the up.

Team news

The Owls will be without Ben Hamer for their opener, with James Beadle starting in goal. The hosts have been busy in the transfer market and they should hand debuts to Max Lowe, Olaf Kobacki and Jamal Lowe.

Rooney is expected to play with three at the back and he has a clean bill of health for his first game in charge. The system change should help the Pilgrims fit in new signings Victor Palsson, Ibrahim Cissoko and Muhamed Tijani. 

The stats

Wednesday won eight of their 12 games against the bottom seven last season.

Plymouth had the third-worst away record in the Championship last term.

The visitors have lost 10 of their last 18 league games and suffered 13 defeats on the road during 2023/24.

The Owls have won their last three at home to Plymouth.

Plymouth conceded 66 goals in 46 games, but they let in an Expected Goals tally of 77.92

Prediction

Sheffield Wednesday hit their stride after winning none of their first 13 games back at this level last season. However, Rohl’s arrival steadied the ship and they peaked in the latter stages, claiming 30 of the final 51 points available.

Plymouth had the opposite record, as they were free-scoring early on. However, the departures of manager Steven Schumacher along with Finn Azaz and Luke Cundle hurt them. Argyle scored just 16 times in 20 games after that point, while they lost 10 of their final 18.

That leaves Rooney with a job on his hands, especially given that the club’s 21st-place finish looks to have been an overperformance. The underlying numbers suggest Argyle gave away too many chances and an Expected Goals Against tally of 77.92 compared to their 66 goals conceded points to this being a tougher campaign.

The Owls were one of the lowest-scoring sides in the division, but they created chances. Rohl’s side have moved to strengthen their attacking options and that should set them up for a successful campaign. Given the problems Rooney is facing, take Wednesday to start with a victory. 

Back Sheffield Wednesday to win at 8/11 with LiveScore Bet