"Failure" - Plymouth Argyle boss Wayne Rooney delivers blunt Leeds United promotion verdict | OneFootball

Plymouth boss Wayne Rooney has insisted it would be deemed a "failure" if Leeds United don't get promoted this season

After seeing his side go down 3-0 at Elland Road on Saturday, Plymouth Argyle manager Wayne Rooney claimed it would be a "failure" if Leeds United fail to get promoted this season.

Rooney came in for some hefty stick from the baying Leeds fans due to his Man United connections, but that didn't cloud his judgement, as he accepted that on the day his side were simply beaten by the better side.

The most concerning aspect for Rooney won't necessarily be the result, as most expected them to leave Yorkshire empty-handed, it'll be the manner of the result, as they failed to even register a shot over the whole 90 minutes in what was a much-changed starting 11.

Three goals in eight first-half minutes were enough to see off Argyle, who now reside in the bottom three and face a battle on their hands to stem some torrid form, which has seen them win none of their last four league games.

After the game, Rooney didn't shirk responsibility, acknowledging that his side performed below the required level, but it was his comments about Leeds' promotion push that stoked debate.

Wayne Rooney issues blunt Leeds United promotion assessment

Billed as one of the pre-season favourites for promotion, it's no surprise to see Leeds in the thick of the automatic promotion race, but being at the top of the table brings its own pressures.

So does being the manager of Leeds United, with the fans expectant of success, and having failed to get them over the line last season, this campaign has a 'do or die' feel to it for Daniel Farke.

That's a sentiment Rooney himself acknowledged afterwards, claiming that this season simply has to end in promotion for Leeds.

“Leeds are a fantastic team, difficult team to play against. From our point of view we’re trying to improve. We’ve got young lads coming on, it’s a good atmosphere at a big club" Rooney said, as per the Yorkshire Evening Post.

“They are a very good team. I am sure if you ask their manager, anything but promotion will be a failure. That will be the message he’s getting.

“They are a good team with really good players. They will be fighting for the top two.”

Rooney's claims certainly have weight to them now, as Leeds find themselves in the thick of the promotion battle, but after so many shortcomings down the years, they won't be getting carried away just yet.

Wayne Rooney should be more concerned about Plymouth Argyle than Leeds United

Rooney's comments after such a disappointing afternoon are somewhat understandable as they go some way to deflecting the attention away from what was a sub-par performance from his side.

But instead of worrying about what constitutes failure for Leeds, he'd be wiser to consider what Plymouth fans would deem failure, and that would almost certainly be relegation.

They find themselves in the bottom three currently, and with two huge games against fellow strugglers Portsmouth and Derby coming up, these next two games could make or break Rooney's Plymouth tenure.

Rooney hinted in the wake of the Leeds game that he knew at 3-0 down the game was done and he was mentally preparing for Tuesday at that point, where Plymouth host bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth.

That's a huge game for Argyle, and Rooney will know that if he loses that then his position is likely to come under intense scrutiny.