Wayne Rooney has identified a major problem at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag that would not have been seen under former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Erik ten Hag weathered a difficult second season at Old Trafford, which culminated with Manchester United winning the FA Cup trophy last weekend.
The Red Devils were plagued with injuries in the 2023-24 season and Erik ten Hag’s men struggled to deliver consistent results in the Premier League.
Ten Hag watched on as United slipped to an eighth-place finish in the Premier League, with the Red Devils falling well short of a top-four challenge.
Despite the turbulent league campaign, the Dutchman oversaw a sensational 2-1 win from United in the FA Cup final over Manchester City at Wembley.
United have missed out on the Champions League for the 2024-25 campaign, but the Red Devils secured Europa League football after their FA Cup win.
Rooney on Man Utd problem
Wayne Rooney appeared on The Overlap and took part in a quick-fire Q&A with former Manchester United and England teammate Gary Neville.
The 38-year-old Manchester United legend opened up about his life in football, including naming the toughest opponent he ever faced on the pitch.
Rooney, who was recently appointed Plymouth Argyle boss, also revealed who he thinks is the best player of all time during his chat with Gary Neville.
Speaking on the problems at United, Rooney claimed that a dressing room needs at least “five players” that can help lead the first team.
The former United and England striker insisted that there are still questions being asked about who the leader is at the club, despite Bruno Fernandes being captain.
Rooney feels that Bruno Fernandes is missing other senior players around him and the lack of real leaders has been shown in Erik ten Hag’s team.
The Plymouth Argyle manager played a large part of his United career under Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scot was well known for having established leaders in his team.
Neville previously opened up about the tail end of his spell at Old Trafford and how Ferguson ensured there were three locker-room leaders in the squad alone.
“I would say you need five players in a dressing room that can lead a team,” Rooney said.
“One thing I would say with Manchester United now is look at the team and you’re still asking questions about who the leader is. I know Bruno [Fernandes] is captain, but who are the leaders there.”
Rooney singles out Man Utd star
Rooney admitted that he feels the lack of senior figures in the United dressing room has impacted players like Marcus Rashford at Old Trafford.
Marcus Rashford struggled with his form in the 2023-24 season and the United star came under heavy criticism for his lack of impact at the Premier League club.
The 26-year-old’s struggles also led to him missing out on a place in Gareth Southgate’s provisional 33-man England squad for Euro 2024 this summer.
Rooney said that Rashford has never been a “big talker on the pitch” and the United legend believes the presence of senior players would “demand” a lot more from him.
“I said this a few weeks ago, when Marcus Rashford was getting stuck for his body language, I think he has always been like that,” he added.
“I don’t think he has ever been a big talker on the pitch. When he is going through a tough moment, or you want him to work a little bit harder, that is where the senior players have got to demand that from him. That’s the one thing I’d say that I don’t see.
“Every time Manchester United concede a goal, their heads go down too quickly and you almost think there is no way they’re getting back into the game.”