Rooney reveals Ten Hag ‘changes’ after training ground visit; explains what Man Utd are missing

October 8, 2024
2:39 am

Wayne Rooney has opened up on the “changes” he saw at Manchester United after visiting the club’s training ground and revealed the players he thinks his former club are missing.

Ten Hag is under huge pressure at United with his side sitting in 14th in the Premier League after just two wins from their opening seven games of the season, in which they’ve scored just five goals.

The Dutchman retained his job at the end of last season after claiming his second trophy in two years with victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup, having won the Carabao Cup in his debut campaign, despite leading the Red Devils to their lowest ever Premier League finish of eighth.

He was handed a one-year extension by new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose Ineos team conducted a thorough strategic review of the club and deemed Ten Hag to be the right man to take them forward.

But another £200m spend in the summer, taking Ten Hag’s overall transfer spend to £600m in his time at the club, has done nothing to improve performances or results at Old Trafford, and a bore draw last time out against Aston Villa has done little to ease the pressure on the 54-year-old, with the United chiefs set to meet on Tuesday to discuss his future.

Rooney hopes Ten hag can turn things around and believes the United boss would be better served with “a good core of British players”.

“I think for everyone who wants Manchester United to do well, it’s been frustrating,” Rooney told talkSPORT.

“Manchester United are 14th in the Premier League, it’s not where they want to be. I think what United have done in the last few years, they’ve changed the managers and they’ve tried to go with a new manager and try and rebuild, but whatever one they’ve brought in hasn’t quite worked.

“Erik ten Hag, he’s an experienced manager, I know he’s trying extremely hard to get it right.

“I think the culture of the football club is… we’ve seen a lot of players who are coming in, a lot of foreign players. I think Manchester United’s identity was always a good core of British players and I think that’s maybe missing a little bit, so players who can control the dressing room and help the manager out when they’re going through a difficult period.

“So I think that’s a big change, if you like, from what I’ve seen over the last few years, but we hope Ten Hag can turn it around and get them back challenging.”

MORE MANCHESTER UNITED COVERAGE ON F365
👉 Aston Villa help out Erik ten Hag by playing out most boring game possible with Manchester United
👉 Six-pass Man Utd man in worst Premier League XI of the weekend
👉 Mailbox: ‘Man Utd didn’t get spanked’ as Ten Hag defended as job ‘difficult to laughable’

Jonny Evans, Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw and Tom Heaton make up the British contingent in Ten Hag’s squad, which isn’t an insignificant amount, though they’re not the leaders Rooney played with in his time under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Although United have won two trophies under Ten Hag, Rooney insists their focus should be on the Premier League.

“I think your season is the Premier League,” Rooney said.

“That’s what we always looked at. Then you had the FA Cup, the Champions League, the League Cup.

“But there’s no better feeling than winning the Premier League. That’s what you’re working all season for. Cups, you can win, which is great. It’s a great feeling, great for the fans.

“But as a fan, you want to see United consistently challenging.

“I think United have gone quite a few years now without doing that.

“So it’s important that you don’t keep letting that carry on and slide and then end up happy with winning the League Cup or FA Cup.

“Manchester United is bigger than that, it’s such a huge football club and in my opinion, has to be challenging every year.”

Rooney is positive about the future though, having been to the Carrington training ground to see the “changes” first hand.

“I think bringing the new owners in, Jim Ratcliffe and [sporting director] Dan Ashworth, they’ve got a good group of people in there, I believe,” Rooney said.

“I think, slowly but surely, there’s changes happening at the football club. I was there last week and seeing the changes happening at the training ground.

“You know, you’re seeing small changes which eventually help the football club and, you know, you hope they get it right and I think recruitment is massive and they’ve brought some good men in to help with that.”