Former club captain and record goalscorer, Wayne Rooney, has blasted Manchester United’s poor run under Ruben Amorim, warning that the team’s current trajectory resembles “relegation form.”
Speaking on the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show, the former United striker said the team’s lack of progress was glaring, especially after their limp 3-0 defeat in Sunday’s derby against Manchester City.
The 20-time English champions appointed Amorim on 1 November last year to replace the sacked Erik ten Hag.
But more than 10 months later, the Portuguese head coach appears to be showing few signs of being able to revive the team’s fortunes.
His side delivered another dismal display in a 3-0 derby defeat at Manchester City on Sunday, with many supporters in the away end leaving long before the final whistle.
The former England striker said, “I want to be as supportive and positive as I can be of the manager and the players.
“But it is very difficult to sit here and say we are seeing progression, and at least we’re seeing things that will get results in the near future.
“We’re seeing none of that, and it is very difficult. 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.
“What are the patterns? What are we seeing what might improve the team moving forward?”
Amorim, appointed in November 2024 to replace Erik ten Hag, has overseen a torrid 10 months despite spending around £250m to overhaul his squad. United finished 15th last season with 42 points, their worst return since the 1989–90 season, and have made another shaky start to the current campaign, including a humiliating Carabao Cup exit to League Two side Grimsby.
Statistically, Amorim’s 36% win rate is the lowest of any permanent United manager since World War Two, and his league record of 26% puts United level with Tottenham at the bottom of the form table across the past 31 matches.
Rooney said, “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.
“I think if the manager is honest with himself, it has got worse. Quite a lot of league seasons that is relegation form.
“What is important when you’re trying to implement a new style is you win games as well while you’re doing that,” Rooney said.
Rooney also echoed comments made by other former players now working in the media when he addressed Amorim’s insistence on deploying two central midfielders, often against opposition sides featuring three.
“The problem with this [3-4-3] system is having two in [central] midfield.
“The players have not got the energy and legs to cover the full width of the pitch and go up and down. They’re getting overrun and overpowered in that midfield.
“Listen, I have had my time as a manager, and I know how it works, and I know how it is when someone else looks and critiques your formation. I can understand that, but it is so obvious.
“If you’re struggling, you have to put three in midfield and give yourself a chance to compete,” he said.
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