Plymouth Argyle: Ibrahim Cissoko flashpoint will give Wayne Rooney long-term headache

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Plymouth Argyle’s wretched run of form away from Home Park continued on Saturday, as Wayne Rooney’s side went down 5-0 to Cardiff City.

That defeat made it one point from a possible 15 on the road this season, with the Bluebirds scoring more goals in 90 minutes than they had in the previous nine league games put together before the weekend.

The Greens’ cause wasn’t helped by a rush of blood to the head by Dutch winger Ibrahim Cissoko before the break in the Welsh capital, with the Toulouse loanee being dismissed for raising his hands towards City’s Perry Ng.

Not only did the red card contributed towards the Pilgrims suffering their heaviest defeat of the season, but it leaves Rooney having to consider his options for the weeks to come, with the 21-year-old set to be unavailable for selection for the next three games.

Ibrahim Cissoko sees red as Cardiff City dismantle Plymouth Argyle

Despite starting the game well in Cardiff, Argyle found themselves behind to strikes from Alex Robertson and Rubin Colwill before the half-hour mark, with the league’s bottom side making the most of their home advantage early doors.

The Devon outfit’s task wasn’t made any easier by the dismissal of Cissoko four minutes before the break, as the wide man reacted to a ball being fired in his direction by Ng as he lay prone on the floor.

Having raised his arms in the crafty defender’s direction, referee Andrew Kitchen brandished the red card in his direction, leaving the ten men with a mountain to climb for the remainder of the 90 minutes.

The hosts were only too happy to rub salt in the wounds in the second stanza, with Anwar El Ghazi, Callum Robinson and Chris Willock all getting on the scoresheet before the game came to an end, with Argyle put to the sword by a rampant Bluebirds side.

Speaking of the incident, Rooney told the BBC: “”He [Cissoko] has reacted, the player’s [Perry Ng] been clever and very dangerous.

“He kicked the ball at him on purpose, that could have been a different colour to what he got, Ibs [Cissoko] has reacted in the wrong way.

“The emotions of the game sometimes, you get those reactions and unfortunately that’s happened to us today.”

Ibrahim Cissoko head loss gives Wayne Rooney decision to make for Millwall, Preston, Leeds encounters

With Cissoko now out of action for the next three matches, Rooney has some decisions to make over the next fortnight, with Wednesday’s trip to Millwall followed by the hosting of Preston North End, and a visit to Leeds United.

The Dutchman had started all but one of the Greens’ league matches this season, with the only other game seeing him come on as a substitute and net a match-winning brace in a 3-1 victory over Luton Town last month.

Rooney started the affair against the Hatters with Michael Obafemi on the left-side of attack that day, with Ryan Hardie starting through the middle, as the pair combined for Rami Al Hajj’s opener against Rob Edwards’ side.

 

Ahead of the trip to The Den, Rooney told the press, via PAFC social media: “We’ve got good options – Freddie [Issaka], Tegan [Finn], Moose [Mustapha Bundu], Callum [Wright]. Rami [Al Hajj] can play out there, if we need him to. That’s why we’ve built a big squad.

“For the players who haven’t played as much, it’s an opportunity to come in and show me what they can do.”

While the Argyle boss may have options at his disposal, there has been little evidence of squad players contributing to the side’s attacking output this season, with a drop off from the first-team players evident in the opening stretch of the campaign.

While Freddie Issaka continues to try to prove himself as a speedster on the flanks, the teenager is yet to deliver any end product to his game so far, with a red card of his own in a 1-1 draw with Queens Park Rangers in August hampering his chances of regular first-team football.

Fellow academy graduate Tegan Finn is so far untested at the level, while Callum Wright and Mustapha Bundu have failed to make the most of their opportunities earlier in the campaign.

Having started the first two league games of the season, former Anderlecht man Bundu [pictured] has struggled to make much of an impact during his second season in green, with just four late substitute appearances all he has to show for his efforts since mid-August.

It is a similar story with Wright, whose solo start of the campaign came in the 3-2 victory over Sunderland last month, while also being regularly deployed from the bench.

With Obafemi being trusted with the role in the past, and his performance leading the line against the Bluebirds leaving much to be desired, a return to the wide areas could be the way Rooney chooses to go in midweek, with either Hardie or Andre Gray playing through the middle.

Ibrahim Cissoko has proven to be Plymouth Argyle’s main attacking threat

Either way, Cissoko’s rash decision-making has left his manager without his side’s most potent attacking weapon against two sides that also find themselves in the lower regions of the second tier table before the end of the week, with the figures speaking for themselves in that regard.

Not only is Cissoko the club’s leading marksman with three goals this season, but his 1.14 shots on target per 90 is also the highest among his teammates, as well as a conversion rate of a goal for every 2.63 shots on target.

The Dutchman is also streets ahead of his colleagues with 4.29 shot-creating actions per 90, with Rami Al Hajj the next best with 3.27, which only goes to highlight his impact on his new surroundings from the get-go.

Without that attacking force on the left-hand side, Rooney will have to shuffle the pack, and hope that whoever comes in proves their worth to the side going forward, with the Argyle boss demanding a response from his side after the weekend’s horror-show.

 

 

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