Wayne Rooney has urged Michael Carrick to drop Luke Shaw and Andrey Santos for Manchester United's Premier League clash with Ipswich on Sunday. The United legend criticised the team's performance after they opened the campaign with a 2-0 defeat away to newly promoted Hull on Saturday.
Rooney criticises Shaw's defending
Rooney singled out Shaw for his 'schoolboy' defending during Hull's second goal, which came before half-time. He also questioned the display of new £50million signing Santos, who struggled on his debut.
Speaking on the Stick to United podcast, Rooney said: "I'd change Luke Shaw and I'd play [Patrick] Dorgu at left-back, be a bit more aggressive. I don't think we can rely on him to play all the games so when you're playing against a newly promoted team at home, I'd play Dorgu at left-back."
Changes in midfield and attack
Rooney also suggested alterations in attack, adding: "I would have kept Dorgu on and put him at left-back in the Hull game. I'd play [Matheus] Cunha off the left and I'd play [Marcus] Rashford up top."
When asked about midfield changes, Rooney replied: "[Kobbie] Mainoo probably, yeah. I'd bring Mainoo in for Santos."
Right-back uncertainty
The former United captain also expressed uncertainty over the right-back position after Noussair Mazraoui was preferred to Diogo Dalot on the opening weekend. "Do you know what? It's a toss-up between the right-backs," Rooney added. "It could be any of them so it wouldn't surprise me if Dalot comes in because Mazraoui didn't get to the ball, the same as Shaw, didn't stop crosses. So yeah, any of them and that's probably it."
Players must take responsibility
Regardless of what changes Carrick decides to make, Rooney believes it is up to the players to find a solution against Ipswich, who he expects to set up similarly to Hull at Old Trafford.
"I think players need to take responsibility on the pitch because when you play against a Hull City or Ipswich, the next game, you can set up however you want to set up and a lot of the time it's decisions," he explained. "You can stop and start training sessions and say, 'if the ball goes here we have to come across or make sure your winger is in with you', or whatever that is. But it's decisions from players on the pitch which make the difference."
