Wayne Rooney has urged Manchester United’s squad to maintain faith in Ruben Amorim’s tactics, following the head coach’s claim that punditry comments were influencing his players. The former United striker had previously criticised Amorim’s approach, saying he had ‘lost faith’ in the Portuguese coach’s system before their win over Sunderland.
Rooney’s remarks were echoed by fellow ex-players Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Amorim expressed concern that the club legends’ comments were affecting the team, stating that players were listening to opinions and internalising them because results were poor.
After Saturday’s 2-0 victory, Rooney responded to Amorim’s press conference comments on The Wayne Rooney Show. He said: “I’m sure they are [aware of the comments]. I said when I made the comments, it’s not something that I really wanted to do but I feel you have to tell the truth on it.” He added that Amorim had also been critical of the players, calling it the worst United team in history, and that the squad must focus on the manager’s instructions to win games.
United now face an international break before a daunting trip to Anfield to face Liverpool, who have lost three consecutive matches across all competitions. Rooney concluded that players at a club like United must expect criticism when results are poor, but highlighted the rewards of winning.
