Wayne Rooney has admitted he could face some uncomfortable moments at Carrington this season after publicly criticising Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim in the wake of their 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City.
Rooney, a club legend and one of United’s most vocal pundits, delivered a scathing assessment of Amorim’s reign following Sunday’s loss, insisting the team has shown “no signs of progress” since the Portuguese coach replaced Erik ten Hag last November.
United’s start to the campaign – four points from four league games – is their worst since 1992/93, and reports suggest the next three fixtures could be decisive for Amorim’s future.
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the 38-year-old said his criticism comes from a place of love for the club but admitted it could lead to awkward run-ins when he visits the training ground to drop off and pick up his sons, Kai (15) and Klay (12), who are both in the club’s academy.
Kai Rooney is currently on the books at Manchester United | GETTY“Me more than anyone, I want to see the club doing well,” Rooney said.
“We have to be honest and that's the difficulty we have. I was speaking with Rio [Ferdinand] yesterday on this.
“We want to support the team, we want to support the manager as best we can, but we also have to be honest as well because the fans are not fools and we have to give our honest opinion on what we're seeing.
“And that does put us in uncomfortable positions at times.
"Rio was out in Chicago with the team for pre-season. Obviously I go into the training ground quite a lot with my children.
"It does put us in an uncomfortable position but we have to be honest with what we're seeing. And frankly, it's just not good enough.”
Rooney said United supporters leaving Old Trafford early on Sunday was a damning image of the current situation as City ran riot.
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Wayne Rooney was critical of Ruben Amorim after Manchester United were trounced 3-0 by Manchester City on Sunday
|REUTERS
“There was an image towards the end of the game where I saw the Manchester United fans leaving,” he added.
“I think that's so powerful… they were very disappointed in what they were seeing.
“What are the patterns? What are we seeing that might improve the team moving forward?
"After last year, when Erik ten Hag got sacked and Ruben came in, we were hearing how they were going to play and it was going to change.
"If the manager is honest with himself, it’s got worse.”
Pressure is building on Amorim, who has just eight league wins from 31 matches in charge since replacing Ten Hag last November.
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Wayne Rooney won five Premier League titles while playing under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United | GETTYCrystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, Fulham boss Marco Silva, Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, former England coach Gareth Southgate and USA manager Mauricio Pochettino are all reportedly being considered as potential successors.
United insist they're behind Amorim for the time being.
But, should results continue to worsen, they'll have no choice but to wield the axe.