“They’re Selfish”: Rooney blasts Manchester United players and demands clear stance on Carrick
Wayne Rooney has called on the Manchester United board to make its position on Michael Carrick clear, warning that there is "going to be an explosion" at the club if it does not.
The former United captain was speaking to The United Stand in reaction to United's 4-1 defeat to Como, a result that has raised fresh questions over whether Carrick's future is in serious doubt.
Rooney believes the uncertainty is only making matters worse, and said the people above the manager must decide which direction they are taking.
"There’s going to be an explosion. I do think there’s got to be some clarification from the board, whether that’s getting rid of Michael Carrick or backing him. They have to come out and calm everything down. The board have to make a decision on what way they’re going and clarify that to everyone, because otherwise it’s just going to get worse and worse."
Rooney also showed sympathy for Carrick's situation. He said he had watched United's under-19 Champions League game earlier in the day and was stunned to then see two of the players involved named on the bench for the first team.
"It was mind-boggling to me that a club like Man United are having to use two players who've just played earlier that day in the youth team on the bench for the first team. I do feel for Carrick because I think he's going into a gunfight with a spud gun," Rooney said.
Even so, he urged the manager to come out fighting for himself, warning that otherwise the players would drag him down and he would be the one to lose his job.
Rooney added that many of the squad's long-serving players need to leave, arguing the dressing room needs fresh faces, minds and ideas.
Rooney reserved his harshest words for the players, contrasting their attitude with his own relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson. He recalled that there were times the pair did not talk, but said he would still "run through a brick wall for him" on the pitch.
The comments come after Bruno Fernandes questioned Carrick's tactics in Como, and Lisandro Martinez hit out at the board at the weekend.
"These players, they're selfish. They care about themselves. They don't care about their teammates, the manager, the staff or the fans. They care about themselves. And if they're not getting what's right for them, they're like babies. They throw toys out the pram and try to deflect the blame onto anyone else but themselves."
