Manchester United news as Wayne Rooney struggles to defend Ruben Amorim and his players after the 3-0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim is struggling to deliver at Manchester United(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has insisted it is "very difficult" to defend Ruben Amorim following Sunday's 3-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City.
United were second best at the Etihad Stadium against their city rivals. Phil Foden opened the scoring in the first-half before Erling Haaland continued his remarkable start to the season with a brace.
The defeat leaves Amorim's side with just four points from their first four Premier League games - their worst start to a season since 1992/93.
Since replacing Erik ten Hag in November, Amorim has managed only eight wins in 31 league games. United are bottom of the 17-team table that consists of the league's ever-present teams dating back to his arrival.
Speaking after Sunday's defeat on The Wayne Rooney show, Rooney revealed he is finding it challenging to defend United and Amorim. “To sit here and say we're seeing a progression or that we're seeing things which will get results in the near future, we're just not seeing any of that and it's very difficult," he confessed.
“There was an image of Man United fans leaving, I've never seen that in my time. You could hear the fans singing Amorim's name but I think that is so powerful that the Man United fans were leaving the game because they were disappointed at what they had seen. It's hard to see how it continues."
He added: “It's hard and very difficult. It's tough to watch and see. I will try to defend it to a certain point but I'm struggling to find the words at the minute."
He continued: "I think after the 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."
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.