Rooney was not a fan of data first approach

'SCOUTING WAS ALL DATA' SAYS FORMER PILGRIMS HEAD COACH

- By TOM SUNDERLAND

ALMOST six months on from his sacking as head coach of Plymouth Argyle, Wayne Rooney has pinpointed the most significant flaw in the club's transfer model. And it had a major hand in preventing the Manchester United legend from signing the players he may have wanted most.

Rooney, 39, arrived at Home Park in May 2024 full of optimism and made a number of signings in the summer transfer window. Arguably the most prominent arrival was former Premier League striker Andre Gray, who signed from Saudi side Al-Riyadh in October on a three-month contract.

However, Rooney has opened up about the Pilgrims' data-driven recruitment model and how it doesn't account for certain traits he values highly. Specifically, he decried the data for its inability to assess a player's constitution, something that may have helped the club stave off Championship relegation if it was in more abundance.