Football It never rains but it pours for Man U
Wayne Rooney has launched a withering attack on some of Manchester United’s injured players by accusing them of deliberately ducking out of games to protect themselves for the FA Cup final or European Championship this summer.
United slumped to their 19th defeat in all competitions as Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford yesterday moved Arsenal back above Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table and ensured the title race will go down to the final day.
City can return to the summit by beating Spurs on Wednesday (NZ time), when Arsenal will hope Tottenham can avoid defeat to give their north London rivals the advantage going into the final round of fixtures this weekend.
Leandro Trossard’s 20th-minute goal was enough to see off a severely depleted United and intensify the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag, who was without 11 senior players through injury.
But former United striker Rooney believes there are players in the Dutchman’s squad who are opting out of games to protect their own interests with the Cup final against City and Euros to come.
“There are some very good players in that squad and the performances are way below par,” said United’s record goalscorer.
“Look at the injuries they have picked up. Some of those players can play. A hundred per cent. You’ve got a European Championship coming up, an FA Cup final coming up.
“Because they are getting a little bit of stick now, it is easy for players to stay out of a little bit and then come back towards the final and get themselves fit for the European Championship.
“I have seen it myself over the years. I just think the players who have been injured, they are not filling themselves with any credit at the minute and the manager is going to take all the stick for that.”
United declined to comment on Rooney’s remarks.
United’s defeat left them marooned in eighth with two games to play and at risk of missing out entirely on European qualification this season, which manager Erik Ten Hag admitted would be “very damaging”.
“It’s very damaging but that is the situation we are in but still we can still get there,” the United manager said.
“We have the opportunities, we have to take responsibility, and then you have to switch on on any occasion to get this done and fight even when the problems are massive.
“You can’t progress a team in certain key areas with so many injuries, it’s like swimming with your hands on your back and you have to keep your head above the water level – that is what we try to do.”
Arsenal need City to drop points to stand any chance of winning a first league title for 20 years and Arteta hopes Spurs can give his side a helping hand. Arsenal then host Everton while City are at home to West Ham.
“My experience in this league is that any team can beat any team,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said.
“I lived various scenarios on the last day when a lot of teams have necessities. The margin of respect that everybody puts in the games is phenomenal. We know we need a result.’’
“Somebody told me it’s 27 wins in the Premier League. It’s the most in the history of this club in 130 years. That’s not progress, that’s history. That’s very difficult to do, especially in the league where we are playing now.” –