Photo by Luca Rossini/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Luca Rossini/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Manchester United players are getting into the habit of speaking out about the lack of unity at Old Trafford following a dismal start to the season. Wayne Rooney thinks they are being selfish and has urged Bruno Fernandes to take a look at himself “in the mirror”.
The mood is low at Manchester United just 11 games into the season. From first-team players questioning tactics at a time when they are not performing themselves to uncertainty over Michael Carrick’s job, it can only be described as a disheartening campaign for the Reds thus far.
Losing 4-1 to Como in the Champions League on Wednesday was a devastating blow. Carrick was apologetic to the 700 fans who travelled, after most of United’s shots ended up in Lake Como while it rained goals at the opposite end. It wasn’t good enough, and he knows it.
To make matters worse, club captain Bruno Fernandes questioned the tactics in his post-match interviews. It wasn’t a good look, raising many questions in the aftermath.
Wayne Rooney hits out at Bruno Fernandes comments after Como defeat
United’s record scorer Wayne Rooney did not hold back when he shared his thoughts on Fernandes’ post-match interview. The 32-year-old revealed that staff instructed the players not to press man-to-man.
Fernandes told TNT Sports: “It’s a decision from the staff not to press man-to-man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, wait for them, but sometimes when you give space to these teams they get confidence.”
Carrick was quizzed on Fernandes’ comments during his press conference before hitting back, saying: “We actually half-pressed man-to-man the second half and then conceded a goal from that. And there’s a little bit of whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play; if you don’t run, and you don’t run forward, and you don’t run back, you ain’t going to win.”
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In line with his criticism, Rooney called out Lisandro Martinez a week ago after the Argentine targeted United’s board members, including Jason Wilcox. The former England captain has now accused Fernandes of heaping pressure on Carrick and shying away from it.
The current squad was likened to babies as Rooney branded them “selfish” and claimed they only care about themselves. Speaking on The United Stand, Rooney said: “When Martinez came out, I said this is an absolute nightmare because it will rip the dressing room apart; that was the start.
“We’ve seen it now with Bruno, and you’re going to see it with more players because they don’t want to take responsibility. You can say whether Bruno was right or wrong in what he said, but you have to take responsibility on the pitch; you have to take responsibility as a group of players.
“These players, they’re selfish. They don’t care about their teammates, the manager, the staff, or the fans. They care about themselves. If they’re not getting what’s right for them, they’re like babies and just throw their toys out of the pram and go and deflect the blame onto anyone else but themselves.”
In addition, Rooney went on to advise Fernandes to reflect by looking at himself in the mirror. He said: “He [Fernandes] is putting pressure on someone else because he doesn’t want to face it. If he looks at himself in the mirror, if Martinez and all of them looked at themselves in the mirror, they’ll find what’s looking back at them is them, and that’s not good enough; they need to show more.”
Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images
Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images
Photo by Stefano Guidi/Getty Images
Photo by Stefano Guidi/Getty Images