Manchester United great player Wayne Rooney criticized the current squad, calling the players 'children' and 'selfish' following the humiliating defeat in the UEFA Champions League. The criticism came after Bruno Fernandes voiced objections to manager Michael Carrick's tactics.
Carrick's team is in thirteenth place in the English Premier League ahead of the upcoming match against Bournemouth on Sunday and risks falling into the relegation zone if this week's results are unfavorable. Due to internal disagreements, the club is experiencing its worst start to the season in many decades, leaving Carrick in a precarious position after the 4-1 loss to Como on Wednesday.
Heightening the sense of crisis, captain Fernandes later criticized his coach's tactical decisions, stating that 'United' needs to show more 'courage.' Defender Lisandro Martínez also expressed dissatisfaction last week with the club's advice regarding insufficient investment in the transfer market.
Wayne Rooney, who is the club's all-time top scorer, stated that he is in a state of 'shock' and 'disbelief' after the game against Como. Rooney, a former teammate and friend of Carrick, pointed to the players as the source of the problems.
On the podcast The United Stand on Thursday, Rooney said: 'When Martínez came out, I said it was an absolute nightmare because it would tear the dressing room apart.' He continued: 'That was the beginning. We saw it now with Bruno, and you will see it with other players because these players do not want to take responsibility.'
He added that regardless of whether Bruno was right or not, responsibility must be taken on the field and as a collective of players. Rooney sharply commented on the team's mentality: 'These players are selfish. They don't care about their teammates, they don't care about the manager, the staff, or the fans; only themselves matter to them. If they don't get what they want, they act like children and just throw their toys out of the pram and blame anyone but themselves.'