Rooney believes Manchester United have regressed under Amorim as Red Devils suffer Derby Day humiliation..
Man Utd have ‘got worse’ under Amorim – Rooney.
According to former club captain and all-time top scorer Wayne Rooney, Manchester United “got worse” under Ruben Amorim.
On November 1st of last year, the 20-time English champions named Amorim to succeed Erik ten Hag, who was fired.
However, over ten months later, the Portuguese coach doesn’t seem to be doing much to turn the club around.
In Sunday’s 3-0 derby loss to Manchester City, his team put on yet another poor performance, and many away fans left well before the final whistle.
Rooney’s Criticism
“I want to be as supportive and positive as I can be on the manager and the players,” said the former England striker on the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show, which you can now listen to on BBC Sounds.
“But it is very difficult to sit here and say we are seeing progression, and at least we’re seeing things that will get results in the near future.
“We’re seeing none of that, and it is very difficult. There was an image towards the end of the game where I saw the Manchester United fans leaving.
“You could hear the fans singing Amorim’s name, but I think that is so powerful that the United fans were leaving the game.
“You know the game is over and I think they were very disappointed in what they were seeing. It is hard to see how it continues.
“What are the patterns? What are we seeing what might improve the team moving forward?”
Relegation Form
In the first few weeks of the 2025–26 season, United had already lost badly to League Two Grimsby in the Carabao Cup.
In addition to losing twice in their first four league games, they have alarmingly only managed two goals from open play, which is their worst start to the season since 1992–93 under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Amorim, on the other hand, has the lowest victory percentage of any permanent United manager since World War Two, with 36% in all competitions, and a miserable 26% in the league.
With just 31 points from 31 games, Amorim’s United club and Tottenham have the worst record among the 17 teams that have played in the Premier League since the start of his tenure.
“Quite a lot of league seasons that is relegation form,” said Rooney.
“What is important when you’re trying to implement a new style is you win games as well while you’re doing that.”
“Listen, I have had my time as a manager, and I know how it works, and I know how it is when someone else looks and critiques your formation. I can understand that, but it is so obvious.
“If you’re struggling, you have to put three in midfield and give yourself a chance to compete.”