Wayne Rooney has highlighted one Rúben Amorim trait that Manchester United’s players may start to become fed up with amid the poor results.
Following a disappointing draw against Fulham on Sunday, Manchester United faces criticism in the media over a perceived lack of quality, with manager Ruben Amorim at the forefront.
Speculation whirls as the tactical system Amorim has been building all summer has failed to produce results in the opening two games.
One factor the media are condemning is the constant movement of players in different positions. Mason Mount is a victim of this, as he played both in the defensive midfield double-pivot and as one of the attacking No. 10s.
United legend Wayne Rooney commented on this on his own podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, criticising this form of management and saying he would be “frustrated” playing this way.
Players need to be “settled” on the pitch
Rooney, who built his credibility as one of England’s best-ever players, discusses how players struggle to find their rhythm during the 90 minutes when they are moved into different roles.
“Players are moving into different positions and from that you can’t get a settled run in the team,” Rooney commented.
The 39-year-old has some experience in this matter, as during the latter part of his career in Manchester, for England, and at Everton, Rooney was often dropped deeper to conceal his deteriorating physical ability.
“I know as a player who did that, it can be very frustrating, and all of a sudden you become fed up of it, and that shows through body language as well. I just hope that doesn’t start to happen with these new players because I think there’s a lot of ability in there already early on.”
Bruno Fernandes and Amad are just two players who have had to adapt their playing style to play in a number of positions under Amorim’s regime, arguably hampering their performances in some games.
Šeško needs time to develop
As one of United’s best ever strikers, Rooney will be in a perfect position to judge Benjamin Šeško’s cameos in the two games he has featured in so far.
Rooney sympathises with Sekso’s situation, after the player made the move from RB Leipzig for £73 million, joining the Reds with a huge amount of expectation.
“He needs time. It’s not easy to come off the bench when the game is really fast. He is learning [that] the game is faster than the Bundesliga but he had some good connections with his team-mates.”
Despite making two appearances off the bench, the Slovenian is yet to score for his new club, though the Reds have been crying out for a number nine to make an impression, having only scored once so far.
Rooney’s comments are relevant and highlight the potential long-term issues for the future of the club. Amorim has a lot on his plate, but the fans’ support remains.
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