Wayne Rooney calls Manchester United squad ‘selfish’ and ‘babies’ after Champions League exit

Wayne Rooney has condemned Manchester United’s players as “selfish” and accused them of refusing to accept responsibility during a damaging week for the club.

United are 13th in the English Premier League before Sunday’s home match against Bournemouth and could fall into the bottom three if results go against them this weekend.

The club is enduring its worst domestic league start for decades, while growing internal tensions have left manager Michael Carrick’s position under pressure. Carrick’s side suffered a 4-1 defeat by Como on Wednesday in a humiliating Uefa Champions League collapse.

The crisis deepened after captain Bruno Fernandes publicly questioned Carrick’s tactics, saying United needed to be more “brave”. Defender Lisandro Martinez had also criticised the club’s board last week over its level of investment in the transfer market.

Rooney, Manchester United’s all-time leading goalscorer, said he was left in “shock” and “disbelief” by the performance against Como. Although he is a former Manchester United striker and a friend and former team-mate of Carrick, Rooney directed his strongest criticism at the players.

“When Martinez came out, I said this is an absolute nightmare because it will rip the dressing room apart,” Rooney told The United Stand podcast on Thursday.

“That was the start. We’ve seen it now with Bruno and you’re going to see it with more players because these players, they don’t want to take responsibility.

“You can say whether Bruno was right or wrong in what he said, but you have to take responsibility on the pitch. You have to take responsibility as a group of players.”

Fernandes’ comments came after United’s latest defeat and added to scrutiny of Carrick, whose side are struggling both on the pitch and within the squad.

Rooney said the players had focused on protecting themselves rather than supporting their team-mates, manager, coaching staff or supporters.

He added: “These players, they’re selfish.

“They don’t care about their team-mates, don’t care about the manager, the staff or the fans, they care about themselves. If they’re not getting what’s right for them, they’re like babies and just throw their toys out of the pram and go and deflect the blame on to anyone else but themselves.”