Wayne Rooney replacement admits his sacking inspired Plymouth's FA Cup upset
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Guilt over Wayne Rooney’s sacking inspired Plymouth to produce one of the shocks of the FA Cup so far, his successor has admitted. The Championship strugglers went away to Brentford on Saturday - a task that looked particularly daunting given the Bees’ formidable home form. But Morgan Whittaker’s second-half stunner secured a shock victory against the Premier League side.
It was also Plymouth’s first competitive win away from home since last April. And the club’s caretaker boss Kevin Nancekivell has admitted that guilt over Rooney’s departure inspired the players to secure victory. Speaking after the game, he said: "The players are probably feeling a little bit of guilt after losing the manager so they're feeling remorse and want to make up for the wrongdoings of this season.
THE FA CUP GIANT KILLERS: Get your special edition magazine celebrating some of the game's greatest-ever upsets. "The last two games, they've given everything, they've stuck to the plan, they've got their blocks in, they've defended and had a desire to defend, and it just goes to show what you can achieve when you have that application.".
Plymouth are now three games without defeat since Rooney’s sacking. Before that, they had lost six out of seven games in all competitions. "It's been a tough period. When you lose a manager you have to hold the fort - which we've been asked to do - and I'm pleased we've been able to give the supporters some cheers," added Nancekivell.
