Wayne Rooney calls Manchester United squad 'babies' and 'selfish' after Como rout
The club's all-time top scorer says the players, not manager Michael Carrick, are to blame after a 4-1 Champions League defeat and public criticism from the captain.
At a glance
- Wayne Rooney called Manchester United's current squad 'babies' and 'selfish' after a 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como.
- United are 13th in the Premier League before Bournemouth's visit on Sunday and could fall into the bottom three.
- Captain Bruno Fernandes criticised Carrick's tactics, and defender Lisandro Martinez questioned the board's transfer spending.
Wayne Rooney, Manchester United's all-time leading goalscorer, has labelled the club's current squad "babies" and "selfish" after a 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como on Wednesday left manager Michael Carrick under growing pressure.
Rooney, a former teammate and friend of Carrick, told The United Stand podcast on Thursday that he was in "shock" and "disbelief" at the display, and aimed his criticism at the players rather than the manager.
United are 13th in the Premier League before Sunday's visit by Bournemouth and could drop into the bottom three if results go against them this weekend. The club is beset by infighting and has made its worst domestic league start for decades.
Captain and defender add to pressure
The Como defeat was followed by captain Bruno Fernandes criticising Carrick's tactics, saying United had to be more "brave". Defender Lisandro Martinez had criticised the club's board last week for not investing enough in the transfer market.
Rooney said such public comments risked splitting the dressing room. "When Martinez came out, I said this is an absolute nightmare because it will rip the dressing room apart," he said. "That was the start. We've seen it now with Bruno and you're going to see it with more players because these players, they don't want to take responsibility."
He added that players must take responsibility on the pitch and as a group, whether or not Fernandes was right in what he said.
'Like babies'
Rooney went further in his assessment of the squad. "These players, they're selfish," he said. "They don't care about their teammates, don't care about the manager, the staff or the fans; they care about themselves."
He continued: "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 on to anyone else but themselves."
Carrick, who the source says was left clinging to his job after the Como result, faces Sunday's home visit by Bournemouth with his side's form piling pressure on his position.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- What did Wayne Rooney say about Manchester United's players?
- He called them 'selfish' and 'babies', saying they do not take responsibility on the pitch and deflect blame onto others instead of caring about teammates, the manager, staff or fans.
- Why is Michael Carrick under pressure at Manchester United?
- United are 13th in the Premier League and could drop into the bottom three this weekend, after a 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como and criticism from captain Bruno Fernandes.
- Who else has criticised Manchester United publicly?
- Captain Bruno Fernandes questioned Carrick's tactics after the Como loss, saying the team had to be more 'brave', while defender Lisandro Martinez criticised the board for not investing enough in the transfer market.
