Wayne Rooney has backed “fantastic manager” Erik ten Hag while reiterating that Manchester United’s players “need to do better”.
The manager of Plymouth, who scored 253 goals in 559 games for United, acknowledged that it was difficult to watch his former team finish in 14th place this year. Although he is optimistic that manager Ten Hag can change their situation, the former England international had less to say about the Red Devils team.
“Well, that’s obviously down to the football club owners to look at that,” he said to Sky Sports. Erik Ten Hag is undoubtedly an excellent manager. In addition to winning trophies at Manchester United, he has won awards everywhere he has gone. Indeed, he is going through a trying time, and I believe he would say as much. However, you have to hope he can turn things around because all too frequently, managers are fired and then there is a rebuild under a new management. I believe it’s challenging, and everybody at Manchester United would agree that they want to contend for championships, so everyone there understands they need to do better in order to be in 14th place. Erik Ten Hag is undoubtedly doing everything,He can attempt to make that better. Players again, and I said this last season, need to do better than what they’re doing. Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable shift in the players. All you want is for them to start challenging you again.
With just eight points from their first seven games in 2024–25, United has had the poorest start to a Premier League season in history. Ten Hag has pressure to maintain his position, his players may not be performing up to par, and the immediate future is dismal. The former Ajax manager can be fired from Old Trafford shortly if their situation doesn’t turn around soon.
Ten Hag’s United team will play Brentford in the Premier League on October 19 after the international break ends next week, and then they will go to Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in the Champions League five days later.
