Rooney Calls Man United Players 'Selfish Babies' Amid Dressing Room Discord

Wayne Rooney has sharply criticized Manchester United's players, labeling them "selfish" and "like babies" for their inability to take responsibility during a poor run of form. The former United captain's comments came in the wake of public criticism from current players Lisandro Martinez and Bruno Fernandes regarding team tactics and transfer strategies.

Martinez reportedly questioned the club's transfer strategy after a European match, while Fernandes openly questioned manager Michael Carrick's tactics following a heavy defeat. Rooney described hearing Martinez's comments as an "absolute nightmare" scenario that would "rip the dressing room apart."

"These players, they're selfish. They don't care about their team-mates, don't care about the manager, the staff or the fans, they care about themselves," Rooney stated on The United Stand podcast. "If they're not getting what's right for them, they're like babies and just throw their toys out of the pram and go and deflect the blame on to anyone else but themselves."

Rooney suggested that Fernandes' public criticism of Carrick's tactics stemmed from an unwillingness to confront a personal dip in form, instead opting to "put pressure on someone else."

"If he looks at himself in the mirror, if Martinez and all of them looked at themselves in the mirror, they'll find what's looking back at them is them, and that's not good enough," Rooney added. "They need to show more."

Fernandes, addressing questions about the team's performance, had directed the focus toward the managerial staff. "It's a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, wait for them, but sometimes when you give space to these teams they get confidence," he said. When pressed on whether Carrick's tactics were at fault, Fernandes stated, "That's on the manager and staff to say, not me."

In response to Fernandes' comments, Carrick suggested that a lack of running from players was a primary issue, regardless of tactical setup. "There's a little bit on whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, but if you don't run – you don't run forward and you don't run back – you aren't going to win," Carrick commented. He took full responsibility for the team's performance, acknowledging it was "unacceptable."

Teammate Youri Tielemans echoed the sentiment of a collective failure, admitting the squad lacked effort in all areas. "It's a combination of everything: tactical, technical, effort. We need to try do better at everything," Tielemans stated. "It's the same message as we've had the last few weeks. We can be here and talk about it, but we have to show it on the pitch."

Rooney advised Carrick to adopt a tougher stance, urging him to "come out fighting" and show his players "there's no more Mr Nice Guy." He warned that players would drag the manager down, potentially leading to job losses.

Amidst this internal strife, reports also indicate growing tensions between football director Jason Wilcox and recruitment director Christopher Vivell regarding the potential next manager. Vivell is reportedly advocating for Julian Nagelsmann, while Wilcox favors a manager with Premier League experience.

Carrick is expected to remain in charge for the upcoming Premier League match against Bournemouth. Manchester United's schedule also includes fixtures against Roma, Chelsea, and Aston Villa in the coming weeks.