Manchester United players should feel “insulted” that Erik ten Hag publicly questioned their attitude, says Wayne Rooney.
United’s all-time leading scorer watched at Old Trafford as his former team lost 1-0 to Arsenal, making it 14 defeats in the Premier League this season.
Crystal Palace humiliated Manchester United on Monday and although there was a marked improvement today, Ten Hag claimed afterwards that the change in performance level was down to the attitude of the players.
“I think whoever the Manchester United manager is is under pressure because it’s obviously a huge club, and when you’re losing games and the way they’re losing games at the moment it’s (poor),” Rooney told Sky Sports.
“Big questions will be asked, and I said it a few weeks ago, I think the players really have to look at themselves because when you have your coach doing an interview and he talks about the attitude and attitude of the players.” Not being fit to play for Manchester United is a huge insult.
Manchester United players should feel “insulted” if their attitude is questioned
This is former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney’s (right) verdict on how he would have taken the post-match interview with Erik ten Hag (left) if he were in the dressing room.
“If I see my manager saying that, then there’s no way I’m going to let him continue until the end of the season, and it seems like some players are just trying to get to the end of the season.
“That’s my personal opinion, and I feel for them that way, but ultimately it’s his (Ten Hag’s) job to make sure the players are right.”
In Rooney’s eyes, too many players are failing to live up to expectations week in and week out, and that is putting Ten Hag’s job in jeopardy.
“I don’t think they’re showing up very well (for Ten Hag),” he said. “I think the performances… there are very good players in that team, and the performances are way below.”
Rooney did not hold back in his analysis of this latest United defeat, calling Casemiro “lazy” and “naive” for the Arsenal goal, and suggesting that certain injured players are fit to play.
Regarding players who do not overcome the pain barrier, he said: “It is necessary to want to play.” I played with injuries.
‘The coach must be ruthless and take that opportunity away from you.
‘As long as you don’t have a serious injury you should want to play on that football field. It doesn’t seem like that to me.
He continued: ‘The European Championship is approaching. You’ve got an FA final coming up.
“It’s easy for the players, you know, because now they’re getting a little bit of control.” It’s easy for players to sit out for a while and then come back towards the final and prepare for the European Championship.
I’ve seen it myself over the years. So I think the players who are injured are not giving themselves any credit at the moment and the coach will just take all the weight for them.”
One of Rooney’s colleagues during the day on Sky was former Arsenal star Paul Merson, who heavily criticized United’s players, stating that it was the “easiest” game of Arsenal’s season.
‘I thought they (Arsenal) were playing in second gear. “I’m very disappointed with Manchester United. I don’t think they’ve done enough,” he said.
“To be honest, Arsenal will never have an easier game than this one. It was too easy and they didn’t play well at all.
“I didn’t really think they (Arsenal) controlled the game. Man Utd had enough of the ball around the box, whether they had that final pass or Garnacho raised his head several times or chose the right pass, but they ran out of ideas.
“I thought they did a job and that’s what you have to do at the end of the season.
“The goal difference will now be irrelevant. It’s a good win where Arsenal don’t usually win.”
