Wayne Rooney Increases Plymouth Argyle Training Intensity Ahead of Festive Schedule

Wayne Rooney has announced an increase in the intensity of Plymouth Argyle’s training sessions in preparation for the demanding Christmas period. The Pilgrims are scheduled to host Middlesbrough this Saturday, having secured only one victory in their last 11 matches, a sequence that includes four consecutive defeats. This performance has left Argyle positioned second-from-bottom in the Championship, although Rooney’s squad does hold a game in hand over the teams in their immediate vicinity in the league table. Speaking to BBC Radio Devon, Rooney explained his approach: “We’ve actually stepped the training up to train harder.” He further elaborated on the necessity, stating, “I feel it’s really important from now until mid-January that we step the training up because that gives your body a resilience to try and prevent injuries.” Rooney also noted, “We’re trying different things to make sure we get the players in the right condition to get through the next three weeks.” Following their match against Middlesbrough, Argyle will travel to face Coventry City on Boxing Day, and then Oxford United on 29 December. They are set to host Bristol City on New Year’s Day, before embarking on a lengthy away trip to Stoke City three days later. Rooney added, “I spoke to the players and I feel it’s something we need to step up.” He described a recent session, saying, “Yesterday we trained a lot harder then we normally would on that day because this time next week we’ll be playing a game.” He concluded by outlining the objective: “We have to get our players’ bodies into a shape and routine that they’re ready for that hit every three or four days going up towards mid-January really, to give them that almost mini pre-season to get them through to the end of the season.”