Man United legend Wayne Rooney 'sorry' for Plymouth supporters after Norwich thrashing

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Plymouth's head coach Wayne Rooney admitted that his team deserved the heavy 6-1 loss against Norwich. Borja Sainz was on fire, scoring a hat-trick as Argyle faced their third major away defeat in the Championship this season, adding to earlier losses against Sheffield Wednesday and Cardiff.

"We definitely weren't performing at a satisfactory level and, despite the injuries leaving us with a thin squad, that can't be used as an excuse," remarked Manchester United legend Rooney. "We were lucky to be trailing only 2-1 at halftime. You expect a response in the second half, but once they scored their third goal, it felt like we completely lost our momentum, which is really disappointing. The players seemed to lack the belief that they could turn things around."

Rooney was blunt about the team's performance, stating, "We have to improve significantly. The next 24 to 48 hours won't be easy for the players." He continued, "I've given them a lot of credit this season for how they've played at home, but their away performance needs to improve drastically. We need to figure out why this issue persists because it can't continue like this."

Showing understanding for the fans, he commented, "I really feel for those supporters who traveled so far; they must be disappointed with what they witnessed tonight." The game started with Norwich taking control right from the beginning, quickly scoring in just two minutes when Sainz found the net, despite Plymouth's claims for an offside being overlooked.

Under constant pressure, Sainz increased his team's advantage with a calm finish at the 17-minute mark. However, Mustapha Bundu managed to pull one back for his team just before halftime after intercepting a risky pass. The second half saw his team take control again.

Shane Duffy scored the third goal with a header from a corner kick, while Sainz completed his hat-trick by skillfully bending the ball around goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw later in the half. Substitutes Anis Ben Slimane and Ante Crnac polished off the score with impressive goals near the end, making it an even tougher night for Rooney's team.