Manchester United look ‘lost’ and ‘scared’ on the pitch, Wayne Rooney says

By PA Sport Staff

Wayne Rooney thinks Manchester United look “lost” and “scared” on the pitch and that “10 to 15 players need to leave the club”.

The team are currently languishing in 14th place in the Premier League, having won only nine of 28 games this season.

That includes five in the last 17 league matches under Ruben Amorim after he replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag as boss, a sequence in which they have suffered eight defeats.

Former United forward Rooney – the club’s record goalscorer – said on Stick to Football, when asked if there was a way back with the current squad: “No, I don’t think so. They look lost. I think they look scared and just scared to make a mistake.

“I do think Bruno (Fernandes) is the one who keeps producing, he annoys you at times as well, but he’s the one who keeps producing. But it needs massive changes to the squad. I think 10 to 15 players need to leave the club.

“Obviously they can’t do that, but I think there is a mentality there where it’s not going right. This player will pass it on to him, he’ll pass it on to him and no one is taking responsibility.”

Rooney, who mentioned skipper Fernandes and 19-year-old fellow midfielder Kobbie Mainoo as players he would keep, added: “I think there is just a culture there now where it’s too easy for them to lose games and then you see them coming out (with), ‘on to the next one’ and all this rubbish.

“You’re like ‘just show it on the pitch – show some character and fight on the pitch’.

“It’s bad watching, it hurts. Being from Liverpool but spending so many years at Man United, I want the club to do well. I’ve got my kids in the academy there – and watching it, it hurts.”

United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said – on Monday in a wide-ranging interview with the BBC – some of the club’s players were “not good enough” and “some probably are overpaid”.

When Amorim was asked about those comments on Wednesday, ahead of Thursday’s Europa League last-16 second leg against Real Sociedad, he said: “I think if we are being honest in this moment everybody – me, all the players – are underperforming this season so we can always change that.”