Rooney explains why top managers may be put off Man Utd job
Stefan Bienkowski
- 22 Nov 2021 09:50 GMT
- 3 min read
Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has distanced himself from the managerial vacancy at the club and suggested that the club’s current crop of players are the reason Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lost his job.
The Norwegian manager was sacked by Man Utd on Sunday, following a farcical 4-1 defeat to Watford which showcased a number of poor performances, perhaps best encapsulated by Harry Maguire getting sent off midway through the second half.
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However, while many believe Solskjaer’s dismissal was a long time coming, Rooney instead placed the club’s current predicament on a squad of players that are simply not living up to their duty of playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world.
’I would be angry if I saw that from my players’
“I was so disappointed watching that game yesterday because, as a manager, you can set a team up and work on shape and how you want the team to play, but there’s no excuse for some of those performances from some players," Rooney told talkSPORT.
“To see players waving their arms around and giving the ball away but blaming other people was not acceptable. I would be very angry if I saw that from my players. Those players are at one of, if not the, biggest club in the world and should feel privileged to be there.
“In my opinion, the players have to show more – that doesn’t necessarily mean winning the Premier League or the Champions League but showing the fans that they are working hard for the club.”
Following Rooney’s criticism of the current Man Utd squad, it was then interesting to hear the young manager distance himself from taking over for Solskjaer and in turn be tasked with making this team perform.
“One day,” Rooney said when asked about managing at the club. “But I’m focusing on Derby County, I’m committed to the club, and I’ll be here until someone tells me otherwise.
“I speak to people at Manchester United on a regular basis and, I’m sure, if they were going to come calling for me, that would have happened by now.”
Indeed, Rooney has perhaps hinted at why some bigger managers - such as Antonio Conte and Zinedine Zidane - have turned away from the opportunity of picking up this poisoned chalice at Old Trafford.
