“I want to be supportive but it’s difficult,” confesses club legend
Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has questioned the club’s direction under Ruben Amorim following Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
The defeat, United’s second out of four games played in the Premier League, leaves them 14th in the table with only four points. The club’s highest goalscorer said he could not see signs of progress.
“I want to be as supportive and positive as I can be on the manager and the players,” said Rooney. “But it is very difficult to sit here and say we are seeing progression, and at least we’re seeing things that will get results in the near future.
“We’re seeing none of that, and it is very difficult. There was an image towards the end of the game where I saw the Manchester United fans leaving.
“You could hear the fans singing Amorim’s name, but I think that is so powerful that the United fans were leaving the game.
“You know the game is over and I think they were very disappointed in what they were seeing. It is hard to see how it continues.”
Amorim was hired on the basis that he could establish a clear pattern of play, supposedly in contrast to the lack of structure under former manager Erik ten Hag, who ended the club’s six-year trophy drought, winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup before being finally sacked due to overwhelmingly poor results.
However, Rooney said there was no evidence Amorim had implemented any meaningful structure.
“What are the patterns? What are we seeing what might improve the team moving forward?
“After last year when Ten Hag got sacked and Ruben came in, we’re hearing how they’re going to play and it is going to change. I think if the manager is honest with himself, it has got worse.”
