Sports · Football · 1 hr ago
Rooney criticises Manchester United players after Fernandes questions Carrick
Wayne Rooney criticised Manchester United’s players after captain Bruno Fernandes questioned manager Michael Carrick’s tactics.
United had lost 4-1 to Como, and the defeat followed defender Lisandro Martínez’s criticism of the club’s transfer strategy.
Fernandes said the coaching staff had chosen not to press Como high, while Carrick said his players needed to run more.
Rooney called the squad selfish and said players should take responsibility for their performances.
The public dispute has put pressure on Carrick and Fernandes’s relationship during a poor run of form.
Fernandes’s comments also raise questions about his role as captain, though no decision about the armband is confirmed.
Carrick is expected to lead United against Bournemouth on Sunday, and whether Fernandes remains captain may become clear when the team is announced.
Wayne Rooney called Manchester United’s players “selfish” and said they were behaving “like babies” after Bruno Fernandes questioned the team’s tactics.
Fernandes made the comments after United lost 4-1 to Como in the Champions League.
He said the coaching staff had decided not to press Como man-to-man and argued United needed to take more risks.
Manager Michael Carrick said players had to run forward and back to win.
The criticism followed defender Lisandro Martinez’s earlier comments about the club’s transfer strategy.
- Who
- Former United captain Wayne Rooney criticised the team’s players. Captain Bruno Fernandes had questioned the tactics of manager Michael Carrick.
- What
- Rooney called the players “selfish” and “like babies” after Fernandes criticised the team’s approach in a 4-1 defeat to Como.
- When
- After United’s defeat to Como on Wednesday, according to the Daily Mail. Rooney’s comments were reported on Thursday.
- Where
- The defeat was in Como, Italy. Rooney spoke on the United Stand podcast.
- Why
- Rooney said players should take responsibility on the pitch rather than deflect blame. Fernandes said United needed to press more boldly.
Wayne Rooney
Bruno Fernandes
Responsibility
Wayne Rooney
Rooney said players should take responsibility as a group and blamed them for deflecting blame.
Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes said the decision not to press man-to-man was for the coaching staff to make.
Approach
Wayne Rooney
Rooney argued players needed to take responsibility on the pitch.
Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes said United needed to take more risks by pressing high and making Como uncomfortable.
Lisandro Martinez criticised Manchester United’s hierarchy after a 2-0 Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid.
Manchester United lost 4-1 to Como in the Champions League.
Fernandes questioned the team’s approach and said the coaching staff had chosen not to press man-to-man.
Rooney criticised the players on the United Stand podcast.
- Final score
- Como 4-1 Manchester United
- Manchester United captain
- Bruno Fernandes
- Manchester United manager
- Michael Carrick
- Rooney’s podcast
- United Stand
- Next reported league opponent
- Bournemouth
3 sources
Man United legend lashes current players for behaving 'like babies'
Wayne Rooney rips into Man United's 'babies' after explosive outbursts from Lisandro Martinez and Bruno Fernandes - and labels captain 'selfish' following public criticism of Michael Carrick
Bruno’s betrayal? ‘Toxic’ Fernandes is symptom of United’s culture of entitlement | Jamie Jackson
What people are saying
These players, they're selfish. They don't care about their team-mates, don't care about the manager, the staff or the fans, they care about themselves.
If they're not getting what's right for them, they're like babies and just throw their toys out of the pram and go and deflect the blame on to anyone else but themselves.
It's a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, wait for them, but sometimes when you give space to these teams they get confidence
There's a little bit on whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, but if you don't run – you don't run forward and you don't run back – you aren’t going to win.