The China Mail - Rooney says Manchester United look 'lost' and 'scared'

Fallen giants United are a lowly 14th in the Premier League, with the likes of Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton and Nottingham Forest all above them in English football's top-flight.

United have won just nine out of 28 league games so far this season and have been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions, with their hopes of winning any silverware this term hanging on Thursday's Europa League last 16 second-leg tie against Real Sociedad at Old Trafford.

A hoped for upturn in results since Ruben Amorim replaced the sacked Erik ten Hag as manager has so far failed to materialise, with the Portuguese coach presiding over a mere five wins from 17 Premier League fixtures.

United great Rooney, the club's record goalscorer, was blunt when asked on the Stick to Football podcast if there was any hope of a resurgence with the current squad.

"No, I don't think so," he said. "They look lost. I think they look scared and just scared to make a mistake.

"I do think Bruno (Fernandes) is the one who keeps producing, he annoys you at times as well, but he's the one who keeps producing. But it needs massive changes to the squad. I think 10 to 15 players need to leave the club."

"Obviously they can't do that, but I think there is a mentality there where it's not going right. This player will pass it on to him, he'll pass it on to him and no one is taking responsibility."

The 39-year-old Rooney, who mentioned United captain Fernandes and teenage fellow midfielder Kobbie Mainoo as players he would keep at United, added: "I think there is just a culture there now where it's too easy for them to lose games and then you see them coming out (with), 'on to the next one' and all this rubbish.

"You're like 'just show it on the pitch -- show some character and fight on the pitch'.

"It's bad watching, it hurts. Being from Liverpool but spending so many years at Man United, I want the club to do well. I've got my kids in the academy there -- and watching it, it hurts."

United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said Monday in a BBC interview that some of the club's players were "not good enough" and "some probably are overpaid".

When Amorim was asked about those comments on Wednesday ahead of the Sociedad match, he said: "I think if we are being honest in this moment everybody -- me, all the players -- are underperforming this season so we can always change that."

V.Liu--ThChM