PRESSURE is continuing to mount on under-fire Plymouth Argyle head coach Wayne Rooney after his side slipped to yet another Sky Bet Championship, this time at Oxford United, 2-0.

Goals from Ciaron Brown and Przemyslaw Placheta condemned the Pilgrims to a 13th league loss of the campaign - and means they will finish the calendar year, bottom of the table, four points adrift of safety.

That means it’s now one win in 14 games, a statistic which has left many of the Green Army questioning whether or not the Argyle board will persist with Rooney for much longer.

Not for the first time this season, Argyle’s defensive frailties were again ruthlessly exposed at the Kassam Stadium by the Us, whilst further up the field their attack remains worryingly blunt and devoid of any real ideas.

Rooney, who took charge of the club back in May, admits the focus is firmly on himself and his team after a wretched run of results. With Bristol City set to arrive at Home Park on New Year’s Day, the task does not get any easier it seems.

“It wasn’t good enough, I didn’t think we deserved anything from the game - and I’m really disappointed,” he said. “I thought it was a tight, even game until Oxford scored. Sadly, it’s a goal we’ve seen, it’s a goal we’ve done a lot of work on over the last few days.

“It’s the basics of football that we’ve been working on and drilling into the players a lot over the last two days but, again, it’s cost us.”

Although the visitors were buoyed by the return of Conor Hazard, Matty Sorinola, Morgan Whittaker and Ryan Hardie for the game, their returns did little to improve an Argyle side that is struggling both for form and confidence.

A number of Argyle fans vented their anger at the final whistle, a point not lost on Rooney, who added: “I get it, I understand it. I have been there myself when I was young. I have been there as a fan and you want to see your team win, you want to see your team running, you want to see them tackling.

“When you are losing games, as we are, that frustration is there. I get it, I don’t take it personally. I think for all of us we are trying to do the right things and help us win games. Unfortunately that hasn’t been the case over the last few weeks.”

Rooney is hoping Wednesday’s return to home comforts, where Argyle have certainly been better this season, can help in the recovery process.

“There needs to be a reaction, of course, to this,” he said. “Today wasn’t good enough but, back at home, on New Year’s Day, hopefully we can get a positive result.”