Former Manchester United star, Wayne Rooney, has criticized the current players for not showing enough desire to play for manager Erik ten Hag following their recent 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.
This loss means United have now lost the joint-most home games in a season in their history.
Rooney, speaking on Sky Sports, suggested that some players seem to be merely going through the motions and looking to finish the season.
United’s defeat to Arsenal leaves them in eighth place, on track for their lowest-ever Premier League finish, and at risk of missing out on European football next season.
To secure European qualification, they must either finish in the top seven or win the FA Cup final against Manchester City.
Despite the loss, Ten Hag expressed satisfaction with his team’s attitude and competitiveness, believing that the fans are still behind him.
However, United have now lost 19 games in all competitions under Ten Hag, their highest since 1978-79, and have suffered nine home losses this season, equalling their worst home record in a season.
Rooney noted that such performances raise significant questions about Ten Hag’s future at the club.
When asked what that result means for the future of Ten Hag, Rooney said, “When you’re losing games in the way they’re losing games, there’s going to be big questions asked.
“I think the players have to look at themselves, when you’ve got a manager talking about attitudes and players not being right to play for Manchester United, that’s a massive insult. If I see my manager saying that, there’s no way I would let that ride and ride until the end of the season.
“I think some players are just trying to get to the end of the season, that’s my opinion on it. So I feel for him, but that’s his job to make sure the players are right.”
Asked if he feels the players are performing for Ten Hag, Rooney replied, “If they are, I don’t think they’re showing it very well. The performances, and there are some good players in that squad, are way below par.
“I would personally hope they do give him [Ten Hag] time, there are a lot of problems with recruitment, it hasn’t been good for a few years.
“I hope he gets time to do it right. But we saw it in 2016 when Louis van Gaal lost his job [after winning the FA Cup], so you never know.”
