Rooney accuses Man Utd board of 'weak' recruitment and backs Carrick to recover

Wayne Rooney has laid the blame for Manchester United’s poor start to the Premier League season squarely at the door of the club’s recruitment team, insisting Michael Carrick was let down in the summer transfer window and left with a squad that is ‘a bit weak’.

United sit in the bottom half of the table after one win in their opening five Premier League matches, with a deflected Matheus Cunha effort earning them a point at Fulham on Sunday to extend their winless run to four games. The result has increased scrutiny on Carrick, who was handed the head coach role on a permanent basis only in the summer.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Rooney was sympathetic to his former teammate’s position. “He knows what’s in for there and listen, you always want more as a manager — I’m sure he would have wanted more from the transfer window, but he’s left with what he’s left with,” the former United striker said. “I think the Premier League has got better, there’s better teams in there. But if you don’t win at Man United, or at any club, at the minute it’s very tough, so I hope he turns it around.”

United did spend during the window, committing £48 million — potentially rising to £50 million — on Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, while Youri Tielemans arrived after his £35 million release clause was triggered. Yet Rooney argued those signings did not address the squad’s most pressing needs in attack and defence.

“There are certain things which I felt the club had to do before the window shut, in bringing players in,” he said. “The squad is a bit weak. He’s got to find a way to get more and the best out of these players to get up the table after this international break. I think the break has come at the right time.”

Despite his criticism of the board’s decisions, Rooney expressed confidence that Carrick has the ability to arrest the slide. “He’s shown that he can get results out of this group of players. They have to get their head down and work and hopefully get some better results.”

Carrick himself pushed back on suggestions his position is under threat following the Fulham draw, pointing to a record of 12 wins from 17 games last season. “I think that’ll be a lot longer than one or two games of results,” he said.