Wayne Rooney has launched a stinging attack on Manchester United, declaring his former club “broken” and lacking identity under manager Ruben Amorim.
United’s record goalscorer spoke candidly on the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC, admitting he now attends games “expecting” them to lose. His comments follow Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Brentford, which extended the Red Devils’ winless away run in the Premier League to eight games.
United currently sit 14th in the table with just 34 points collected from Amorim’s 33 league matches in charge. The Portuguese coach, who arrived from Sporting Lisbon last November after lifting back-to-back domestic titles, is still struggling to inspire momentum at Old Trafford.
Despite recent setbacks, the club hierarchy has so far kept faith in Amorim. Yet Rooney believes the problems run far deeper than just the dugout. “Some players don’t deserve to wear the shirt,” he said, adding that the squad “needs a new engine.”
Rooney, who spent 13 years at Old Trafford, winning five league titles, was blunt about the lack of direction he sees from both the manager and the board. “I am not seeing anything which is giving me confidence. There needs to be big changes in my opinion. Manager, players, whatever that is. Whatever it takes to get Manchester United back.”
The former England captain also turned his criticism toward the ownership. “There needs to be a clear message from the owners,” Rooney stressed. “Whether that is the Glazers, or minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, there has to be a message of where this club is going. At the minute we are all sitting there waiting for it to crumble.”
Last season’s 15th-place finish was United’s worst league performance since being relegated from the old First Division in 1973-74. The current campaign has brought little improvement, with United failing to string together consecutive league victories since early August.
For Rooney, the decline is not just about results on the pitch but about the erosion of the club’s culture. “The culture of that football club has gone. I see it on a daily basis. I see staff losing jobs, people walking out of jobs.”
The 38-year-old, who now manages Plymouth Argyle, revealed that two of his children are part of United’s academy. “I really hope this doesn’t affect what they’re doing. What I’m seeing at that football club is not Manchester United.”
Rooney’s remarks echo the growing frustration among supporters, many of whom have long called for a leadership shake-up. While Amorim’s future remains under scrutiny, pressure is mounting on the Glazers and Ratcliffe to provide clarity about the club’s direction.
For now, United’s struggles on the pitch are amplifying the unrest off it. As Rooney’s words suggest, the urgency to restore pride, culture, and belief at Old Trafford has never been greater.