Wayne Rooney Slams Manchester United Players for Pressure on Erik ten Hag

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has slammed the club’s players and feels they should take ‘a lot of responsibility’ for the growing pressure on manager Erik ten Hag. Bookmakers have slashed the odds on Ten Hag becoming the next Premier League manager to be sacked amid United’s horrific season so far, with the pressure ramped up after a humiliating Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle.

United are eighth in the top-flight after their opening 10 fixtures – losing half of them – and have won just one game in the Champions League, with new reports indicating that Ten Hag is on ‘thin ice’ and the club are pondering replacements.

As well as the team’s terrible form, Ten Hag’s recruitment policy has also been criticised as well as his style of play and treatment of certain players in the squad.

United legend Rooney, though, who is currently manager of Championship club Birmingham City, has pointed his finger at the club’s players as the key problem.

Rooney’s Comments

Asked if he had sympathy for Ten Hag amid the mounting pressure, Rooney said: ‘That’s the job. That’s a part of the job. We all know that when we take jobs, whatever job it is. I knew coming here (Birmingham) there was a lot of pressure and I’m sure Erik ten Hag knows that at Manchester United. It’s not going as well as they would like or how they would have hoped.’

‘But I think the players have to take a lot of responsibility as well. I know some of the players in there and they are not performing to the levels I know they can. Of course, ultimately, it starts and ends with the manager and that’s part of being a manager. He’ll get critics after the last few weeks but I think the players can do a lot more than what they are currently doing for him.’

Pressure on Ten Hag

The pressure on Ten Hag has been mounting since he took over at Old Trafford in 2023, with United struggling to keep up with their rivals in the Premier League and Champions League. Ten Hag has been criticised for his recruitment policy, style of play and treatment of certain players in the squad, and bookmakers have slashed the odds on him becoming the next Premier League manager to be sacked.

The team’s poor form has been compounded by a humiliating Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle, and it appears that Ten Hag’s days at Old Trafford may be numbered. However, Rooney believes that the players should take some responsibility for the team’s struggles, and he believes that they are not performing to their full potential.

Conclusion

It remains to be seen whether Ten Hag will be able to turn things around at Old Trafford, but it is clear that Rooney believes that the players need to take some responsibility for their poor form. With United struggling to keep up with their rivals in both the Premier League and Champions League, it is clear that something needs to change if they are to return to their former glory.