Boluwatife Kehinde
Wayne Rooney has voiced deep concern over Manchester United’s struggles under Ruben Amorim, saying the team has “got worse” since the Portuguese coach’s arrival.
Speaking after United’s 3-0 defeat to rivals Manchester City, Rooney admitted it was difficult to stay positive about the direction of the club. “I want to be as supportive and positive as I can be of the manager and the players,” he said on The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC Sounds. “But it is tough to sit here and say we are seeing progression, and at least we’re seeing things that will get results soon. We’re seeing none of that, and it is very difficult.”
The former England striker pointed to fans leaving the Etihad long before the final whistle as evidence of frustration. “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.”
United, who finished 15th last season with 42 points — their lowest league position since 1989–90 — invested around £250m on new signings after Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag in November. Despite the squad overhaul and a switch to the manager’s favoured 3-4-3 system, problems remain.
“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,” Rooney added. “I think if the manager is honest with himself, it has got worse.”
Rooney holds United’s top scorer
Rooney is Manchester United’s all-time top scorer with 253 goals in 559 appearances from 2004 to 2017, winning five Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League under Sir Alex Ferguson. After retiring, he moved into management, most recently at Plymouth Argyle, where a difficult spell brought only four wins in 23 matches before his departure in December 2024.
