Rooney slams weak United signings as Carrick faces pressure
Wayne Rooney has warned that Manchester United have handed Michael Carrick a "weak" squad, adding that the pressure on the manager is mounting after a summer that delivered three midfielders and a spare goalkeeper but left the club 12th in the Premier League.
Summer signings and spending
United’s recruitment focused on midfield, with Andrey Santos arriving from Chelsea for £48million, potentially rising to £50m, and Youri Tielemans joining after his £35m release clause was triggered. Matheus Cunha also featured among the new arrivals, while a spare goalkeeper completed the quartet of signings that Rooney describes as insufficient.
United's shaky start
After the transfer window United sit in the bottom half of the table at the first international break, having secured only one win in their opening five Premier League matches and remaining winless in the last four. A point salvaged at Fulham came from Cunha’s deflected effort, yet the side remains 12th, a long way from the third‑place finish last season.
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Rooney and Carrick's perspectives
Rooney told that "there's always going to be pressure, Michael knows that" and urged Carrick to extract more from the current group after the three‑week pause before facing Tottenham. He added that the Premier League has become tougher and that United must "get their head down and work" to improve results.
Following a recent draw in West London, Carrick dismissed reports of mounting pressure, reminding that he guided United to 12 wins from 17 games last season. He said he does not contemplate how long he will stay, focusing instead on turning performances around.
Rooney also noted that the club had been linked with left‑back Lewis Hall, suggesting Carrick would have liked more options from the window. He believes the recruitment team fell short, leaving Carrick with "what he's left with" and a squad that needs strengthening.
With the international break now behind them, both former Red Devil and United boss hope the next fixtures, starting with Tottenham, will allow Carrick to prove the squad can climb the table.
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