Rooney accuses United players of avoiding responsibility

Wayne Rooney has accused Manchester United players of acting selfishly and avoiding responsibility after captain Bruno Fernandes questioned the team’s tactics following a 4-1 Champions League defeat by Como. Rooney said the players’ public criticism risked damaging relations within the squad, though his concerns about the dressing room were his assessment rather than an independently established account of player relations. Speaking on the United Stand podcast, Rooney said players should take responsibility for their performances instead of deflecting blame. He described the squad as “selfish” and likened players who publicly complain when dissatisfied to babies. Rooney said he expected more players to speak out and warned that disagreements could divide the dressing room. Fernandes said United’s coaching staff had chosen not to press Como man-to-man, allowing the Italian side time and space. He said the manager and staff should assess whether their approach was right, adding that United needed to be braver in pressing high. His remarks followed United’s loss on Wednesday, October 21. Michael Carrick, United’s head coach, responded that the team had partly pressed man-to-man...