“10-15 players need to leave the club” - Wayne Rooney names the only 2 Manchester United stars who should continue at Old Trafford

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney provided a scathing response when asked about how the team could recover from a forgettable 2024-25 campaign. The former striker claimed that only two players from the current squad deserved to continue, while 10-15 of them needed to leave to improve the side's fortunes.

The Red Devils are in the midst of one of the worst seasons in the club's history. They are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table and have looked dreadful under new head coach Ruben Amorim.

Rooney said on the Stick to Football podcast (via GOAL):

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“No, I don’t think so. They look lost. They look scared.

“Bruno [Fernandes] is the one who keeps producing, he annoys you at times but keeps producing. They need massive changes to the squad, I think 10-15 players need to leave the club. Obviously, they can’t do that, but there is a mentality there where no one is taking responsibility.

“I’d keep Bruno and [Kobbie] Mainoo. There is a culture at the club where it’s too easy to lose games and the players come out and say, ‘Onto the next one,’ and all that rubbish. Just show some character and fight on the pitch.”

Fernandes has been a rare silver lining in this dismal year, tallying 25 goal contributions in 42 games. Mainoo has struggled to stay fit this year but the youngster has shown a lot of promise as one of Manchester United's better midfielders.

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Ruben Amorim responds to 'overpaid' claims about Manchester United squad from Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim insisted that it was his and the players' responsibility to improve upon their fortunes. The Portuguese boss stated that while Sir Jim Ratcliffe was honest, the squad was underperforming and they had to do better.

Earlier, Ratcliffe had spoken about the situation surrounding the squad, saying (via Sky Sports):

"Some [players] are not good enough and some probably are overpaid, but for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for and accountable for will take time."

To which, Amorim responded (via Sky Sports):

"I think if we are being honest, everybody - me and the players - we are underperforming this season, so we can change that.

"You are talking about players like Casemiro for example, who have won everything and we know that these kind of players can play so much better. He [Ratcliffe] was honest on that."

This comes after reports that the Red Devils will be looking to make a massive overhaul of their squad in the upcoming window. It seems clear that changes are needed across different areas to overturn their poor recent fortunes.

Manchester United will hope to salvage their poor campaign with a strong performance in the Europa League. They are set to face Real Sociedad in the second leg of the Round of 16, with the tie currently poised evenly at 1-1.

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