Manchester United's all-time leading scorer Wayne Rooney called the club's players "selfish" and said they were "like babies" after captain Bruno Fernandes questioned the coaching staff's tactics following Wednesday's 4-1 Champions League thrashing by Como.
Fernandes said United failed to apply enough pressure and adopted a "mood of defeat" after conceding in the second minute, as the heavy loss intensified scrutiny of manager Michael Carrick. United's collapse at Como left them staring at another damaging defeat, with only a stoppage-time goal from Joshua Zirkzee reducing the margin of loss.
The criticism follows signs of growing frustration within the squad. Earlier this month, defender Lisandro Martinez criticised the club's hierarchy after a 2-0 Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid, saying he expected greater investment to help the team compete at the highest level.
"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 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.
"These players, they're selfish. They don't care about their teammates, 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."
United fell behind to a second-minute goal and never recovered as the club's winless run reached seven games after another lacklustre performance. "We started on the wrong foot and they scored very early," Fernandes told TNT Sports. "Not much pressure on the ball, not many good movements with the ball, not many things going our way."
The Portugal midfielder suggested Nico Paz's early strike for Como on Wednesday night had a damaging effect on the visitors, leaving them struggling to impose themselves. Paz scored again after Tasos Douvikas had doubled the lead, with Jacobo Ramon adding a fourth. Only a stoppage-time goal from Joshua Zirkzee stopped United from succumbing to their joint-heaviest Champions League loss.
"Conceding early makes us go into the game with a mood of defeat," said Fernandes. "It's difficult to get out of that, trying to be brave, to have the ball and make something happen. If we are not able to do that, it is going to be very difficult to get out of this situation."
Fernandes also highlighted United's passive approach out of possession, saying Como were allowed too much time and space to dictate play. Asked whether those comments amounted to criticism of Carrick's tactics, Fernandes said: "That's on the manager and staff to see, not me. Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable."
Carrick, a former United midfielder who played alongside Rooney at Old Trafford, was appointed on an interim basis following Ruben Amorim's dismissal in January before earning a contract through 2028 after overseeing a dramatic improvement in results.
Carrick is under growing pressure with United winless in seven matches across all competitions. They are 20th in the Champions League standings and 13th in the Premier League.
Carrick said his side had failed to show the required intensity against Como. "It's the motivation and the purpose and the intensity of a game of football that you have to bring. We didn't bring that today," he said. "I've got to apologise for the performance."
United have three points from their opening three Champions League matches and host AS Roma in their next fixture in the competition.
Carrick said in the run-up to the Como game that he did not need reassurances from club bosses over his future. But the Red Devils are now winless in seven games in all competitions and it is difficult to see where their next victory will come from.
It is an unwelcome case of rinse and repeat for long-suffering United fans, who have been on a rollercoaster ride since the retirement of Alex Ferguson in 2013. Carrick's struggles bear an uncanny resemblance to those of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a cherished club legend who took up the managerial reins and started well before a rapid decline in results.
The former midfielder, who won multiple trophies under Ferguson at Old Trafford, deflected a question about whether he had the backing of the United board. "It's not about me," he said. "It's about digesting the game and how it went. That is the most important thing right now."
