Wayne Rooney is concerned that Manchester United’s performance in the Europa League is merely masking deeper issues within the club.
The legendary Old Trafford goalscorer believes there are considerable problems that Manchester United must address urgently.
United are aiming to reach the Europa League final and currently hold a comfortable 3-0 aggregate lead against Athletic Bilbao heading into the second leg of the semi-final. They remain the only team undefeated in UEFA competition this season, and winning the trophy would guarantee qualification for the next season`s Champions League.
However, their form in the Premier League presents a stark contrast. The team sits in 15th place and recently suffered their 16th league defeat of the season in a 4-3 loss to Brentford.
Rooney, who captained United to Europa League victory in 2017, commented: “I feel like getting to the final is papering over a lot of cracks.”
He added, “There are big problems at Manchester United which need solving quickly.”
As his son, Kai, is part of the academy at Carrington, the former England striker regularly visits the club’s training facilities.
Rooney expressed confusion regarding the first team`s continued use of a three-at-the-back system, which he feels has been repeatedly exploited in the Premier League.
He finds it even more perplexing because the club’s Under-23/Under-21 teams use a back four, potentially leaving young players unprepared when they are promoted to the senior squad.
Rooney, who scored 253 goals for United, explained: “The second team are playing with a back four, which I found strange.”
“A lot of those players have come into the first team now but they’re getting their game time with the Under-23s or 21s yet they play a different system. For me, that’s a bit confusing. It’s strange as you play a back five, or a back three, to put pressure on the ball — otherwise it keeps coming back through the midfield.”
He also highlighted a recent defensive weakness: “Brentford caused United a lot of problems from the wide areas — and United didn’t really have the intensity.”
Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao`s prospects for overturning the deficit have been hindered by potential player absences. Key players Nico Williams, a winger, and Oihan Sancet, the top scorer, both missed training sessions.
Neither forward featured in their recent league match against Real Sociedad. Their fitness for the second leg in Manchester remains uncertain.
Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde knows his team needs an exceptional performance to overcome the 3-0 first-leg scoreline. Williams, reportedly an Arsenal target, recently recovered from a hamstring injury but picked up another issue late in the first leg against United. Sancet has been recovering from a muscle problem for the past couple of weeks and is considered doubtful.
Furthermore, defender Dani Vivian is unavailable for the match due to the controversial red card he received in the first half of the initial leg.