Manchester United Legend Lashes Out At Amorin Struggles

Wayne Rooney has claimed Manchester United have “got worse” under Ruben Amorim as pressure mounts following a 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City.

The club’s record goalscorer delivered a blunt assessment of United’s continued decline, questioning both results and performances during Amorim’s 10 months in charge.

Rooney critical of progress

Amorim was appointed in November 2024 to succeed Erik ten Hag, but United remain in turmoil. They finished 15th last season with just 42 points, their lowest top-flight tally in over 30 years, and the new campaign has begun with further setbacks.

The latest defeat at the Etihad left United 14th in the Premier League, while fans in the away section were seen leaving long before the final whistle despite singing Amorim’s name earlier in the match. Rooney admitted the current trajectory is difficult to justify.

“I want to be as supportive and positive as I can be on the manager and the players. But it is very difficult to sit here and say we are seeing progression. We’re seeing none of that, and it is very difficult,” Rooney said on his BBC Sounds programme.

United’s poor form has been compounded by an early Carabao Cup exit to League Two side Grimsby and a lack of attacking fluency, with just two goals from open play across their opening fixtures.

System under scrutiny

Amorim has remained committed to a 3-4-3 system, a shape that brought him success at Sporting Lisbon, but it has raised concerns among former players and pundits. Rooney pointed to the midfield balance as a particular weakness, arguing that United’s two-man central unit is being overrun against sides deploying three.

“The players have not got the energy and legs to cover the full width of the pitch and go up and down. They’re getting overrun and overpowered. If you’re struggling, you have to put three in midfield and give yourself a chance to compete,” he said.

Statistics highlight the scale of the problem. Amorim’s win rate of just 26% in league games is the worst for any permanent United boss since World War Two. His side have managed only 31 points from 31 league matches, a tally Rooney described as “relegation form”.

Site Opinion

Rooney’s comments will resonate with a fanbase that has grown weary of excuses and false dawns. Amorim has been backed heavily in the transfer market, but his insistence on sticking rigidly to a system that clearly exposes weaknesses has left him vulnerable to criticism.

While long-term philosophies take time to implement, United’s history and expectations afford little patience when results mirror those of clubs fighting relegation. Unless Amorim adapts quickly, the calls for change at Old Trafford will only grow louder.