Wayne Rooney says he has no faith in Ruben Amorim to fix United

Wayne Rooney, Manchester United’s record goalscorer, said he has no faith in head coach Ruben Amorim to reverse the club’s fortunes after Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Brentford, declaring on his BBC podcast that the “soul has gone” from the club. Rooney, who watched United fall to 14th in the Premier League, said he now attends matches expecting the team to lose and criticised players and staff for a perceived lack of character and desire.

Amorim, appointed last November after winning two Portuguese league titles with Sporting Lisbon, has taken 34 points from 33 Premier League games in charge and is yet to record consecutive top-flight wins. United’s form this season follows a 15th-place finish last year, their lowest league position since 1974, and a Carabao Cup exit to League Two Grimsby Town. Despite those results, the club’s board reportedly continues to back Amorim.

Rooney, 39, who scored 253 goals in 559 appearances for United between 2004 and 2017, said on The Wayne Rooney Show that he hoped Amorim could turn things around but that his own confidence had evaporated. “I honestly hope he can turn it round and he does. But after everything I’ve seen, honestly, I’ve got no faith...