Wayne Rooney believes the soul has gone from his former club Manchester United and he has no faith in manager Ruben Amorim to turn things around.
United’s record goalscorer said the club was “broken” on the latest edition of BBC podcast The Wayne Rooney Show, and he goes to games “expecting” them to lose.
Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat at Brentford on Saturday meant they have collected 34 points from Amorim’s 33 league games in charge and have still to win successive matches.
The club are said to remain supportive of their head coach despite the damaging loss which left them 14th in the Premier League table.
But Rooney added that some current players “don’t deserve to wear the shirt”, the side “needs a new engine” and supporters are “waiting for the club to crumble”.
“I am not seeing anything which is giving me any confidence, there needs to be big changes in my opinion,” said the former England striker, who won five league titles during 13 years at Old Trafford.
“Manager, players, whatever that is. Whatever it takes to get Manchester Untied back.”
United finished 15th in the Premier League last season, their worst finish to a top-flight campaign since they were relegated from the old First Division in 1973-74.
Amorim took charge of United last November having lifted the Portuguese title with Sporting in successive seasons.
Defeat at Brentford meant the Red Devils are winless in their last eight Premier League away games (two draws and six losses), their longest run since 2019.
They last enjoyed back-to-back league victories between May and August 2024.
“There needs to be a clear message from the owners,” added Rooney.
“Whether that is the Glazers, [minority owner] Sir Jim Ratcliffe, there has to be a message of where this club is going. At the minute we are all sitting there waiting for it to crumble.
“The culture of that football club has gone. I see it on a daily basis. I see staff losing jobs, people walking out of jobs.
“I’ve got two kids [in the academy] at that football club and I really hope this doesn’t affect what they’re doing. What I’m seeing at that football club is not Manchester United.”
After the disappointing defeat by Brentford, Amorim said: “I am never concerned about my job – I am not that kind of guy.”
The Portuguese, 40, has been criticised for his stubbornness in sticking with his favoured 3-4-2-1 formation.
Speaking on BBC Match of the Day, ex-Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards said those tactics could lead to “his undoing” and Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer said Amorim was fortunate to have avoided the sack.
“I just don’t know what’s going on,” admitted ex-Birmingham City, Derby County and Plymouth Argyle boss Rooney, 39.
“I have tried my hand in management and it didn’t work out too well, I get it. Ruben Amorim is my age, he is still a young manager and I’m sure he still has a massive future, but what’s going on at Man Utd, this is not Man Utd.
“I honestly hope he can turn it round and he does. But if you’re saying to me, ‘do you believe he will?’, then, after everything I’ve seen, honestly, I’ve got no faith in it.”
The former England skipper, who also captained United, added: “I don’t recognise the whole football club. I don’t see players fighting, I don’t see character, I don’t see desire to win.
“I go to a game watching, expecting, here we go again – expecting the team to lose or maybe pick up a point.
“It’s not even just results on the pitch. It’s everything about the club that needs fixing – Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos have walked into a real challenge.
“We’re seeing staff members getting sacked after 20, 30 years who are very important people to that football club.
“The soul has gone from the club. It needs a new engine, a new lease of life. It needs something to kickstart that football club.”
Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group bought a 27.7% stake in United in February 2024 worth about £1.25bn ($1.6bn).
The overall number of employees has dropped from 1,100 to 700 in the past two years following controversial redundancies.
The Glazer family, who have owned the 20-time English top-flight champions since 2005, retain a majority stake, but Ineos have taken control of the club’s football operations.
