Rooney slams Man Utd transfer ‘mistake’ as Carrick is ‘missing’ Ndiaye-like star | OneFootball

Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney thinks the Red Devils have made a mistake by overloading their squad with midfielders in the summer transfer window.

The Red Devils have had a disappointing start to the new season with Michael Carrick’s side losing two, winning one and losing one of their opening four Premier League matches.

Man Utd did beat Sabah, as expected, in the Champions League but that result won’t hide the disappointment at a transfer window that promised so much more.

Supporters were expecting the Red Devils to spend money on a new left-back and maybe at least one new attacking player, while the three midfield additions have underwhelmed some in the Old Trafford fanbase.

Man Utd chose to spend the vast majority of their transfer budget on Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba and Rooney is largely disappointed by the state of the squad.

Rooney said on Stick to United: “When the window shut, I was surprised we didn’t sign more players, it’s frustrating.

“I heard someone yesterday say that we [United] fixed the attacking line and now we’ve done the midfield. I don’t think we fixed the attacking line last season. We got players in but didn’t fix it. Mbeumo did okay, Cunha did okay, didn’t set the world alight.

“When the season finished last season and going into the World Cup, I was looking at it thinking they need a No.9.

“Cunha needs someone to play off. Cunha doesn’t need to be the player who brings others into games. He has moments, like he did at Arsenal last season where he produces something brilliant and then he’ll frustrate you.

Rooney on Man Utd: ‘I just think the depth of the squad is not great’

“I think Mbeumo a lot of the time comes inside on his left foot from out wide. I actually think his best games for Man United have been as a No.9, rather than from out wide.

“I think we miss Amad massively, a bit like what [Iliman] Ndiaye does obviously for Everton and for City [against United], Amad is someone who will get the ball and drive at someone, he’ll carry the ball, we haven’t got the best ball carriers in the team.

“I just think the depth of the squad is not great. Mason Mount has never really done it in a Man United shirt, we haven’t got players on the pitch who are starting games thinking, ‘if I’m not playing well here I’m getting taken out’, that’s a problem when you’re not looking over your shoulder, it’s not a good place to be and I think that’s where the team are at the minute.

“I think Michael Carrick would have been pushing for more players, that’s what managers do. You don’t know where financially the club are at. But I just think we’ve overloaded the midfield when we’ve needed more in other areas, so I think that’s a mistake.

“If you overload the midfield and you bring in another forward and you bring full-backs in, great, you’ve got competition for places, but I think we’ve just focused on that midfield area and we’ve spent a lot of money in that midfield area without developing any of the other issues which probably needed fixing more.”