Plymouth Argyle boss Wayne Rooney weighs in on Man Utd, Erik ten Hag situation | OneFootball

Wayne Rooney has had his say on the current situation at Manchester United.

Plymouth Argyle manager Wayne Rooney has spoken out about the unfolding situation at his former club, Manchester United.

The Pilgrims boss is quickly becoming a firm favourite in Devon, with his Argyle team enjoying a solid start to his reign.

The same can't be said for United manager Erik ten Hag, who once again finds himself under pressure to keep his job.

The Red Devils sit 14th in the Premier League after a miserable start to the season. Despite new ownership and plenty of money spent, it seems to be the same old story for the giant club. Old Trafford legend Rooney, believes he knows why United are unable to get firing under ten Hag.

Behind every successful Manchester United team, there has been a strong core of British players that have been a key influence. From Rio Ferdinand, to Ryan Giggs, this core group of players complimented the rest of the squad well.

Since then, the Reds have lacked a strong core of British players, which is what Rooney believes is costing his former club a chance at success. Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, and Harry Maguire are some of the names that represent the homegrown group, but these players are nowhere near as influential as those who've adorned the famous Red shirt before.

Speaking to TalkSport, the Plymouth manager reiterated this point, stating: "I think the culture of the football club is, we've seen a lot of players who are coming in, a lot of foreign players. I think Manchester United's identity was always a good core of British players and I think that's maybe missing a little bit, so players who can control the dressing room and help the manager out when they're going through a difficult period."

Having played under Sir Alex Ferguson, Rooney will understand what it takes to even come close to emulating some of what the famous manager did during his time. With that core of British players missing, the Argyle boss thinks that this is what United need to rebuild from the ground up.

Ten Hag's transfer strategy goes against what Rooney thinks

There was a lot of anticipation around this summer, as the new ownership of INEOS promised a fresh start after a tough time under the Glazer family as of late.

Ten Hag was given the funds to build the side that he wanted, which seemed to once again be focused around reuniting that famous Ajax side that reached the Champions League semi-final in 2019. However, some exciting prospects such as Leny Yoro, and Joshua Zirkzee came as welcome additions to Old Trafford.

During his time at United, Ten Hag has only signed two British players in Mason Mount and Jack Butland. He allowed winger Jadon Sancho to leave the club, who was tipped to be a star when he arrived from Borussia Dortmund.

Out of these two signings, only Mount remains at the club, but it's fair to say the former Chelsea starlet has been underwhelming over the course of his first year in Manchester.

On paper, the signings Ten Hag made this summer are impressive. However, as Rooney hinted at, the lack of a British core could be what is holding the Red Devils back.

Plymouth manager hopes for Ten Hag's success

As a United legend, there is nothing more Rooney would like to see than his former club that he called home for a decade back on top of English football.

However, there are many doubts among United fans that the former Ajax manager is the man to take the club back to the top of the Premier League.

Ten Hag has two trophies to show so far. The Carabao Cup and the FA Cup have been a silver-lining in what has been a pretty dismal tenure for the United boss so far.

Jim Ratcliffe had the opportunity to sack Ten Hag at the end of last season, as the club slumped to an eighth place finish. But, thanks to a brilliant FA Cup final victory over Manchester City, the 54-year-old was rewarded with a new deal.

Despite widespread speculation, Rooney holds out hope that Ten Hag will be the one at the helm when United next lift the all-important Premier League trophy. "I hope so", the Plymouth manager said when he was asked if he believed the Dutchman would still be in charge when the Reds next win the league.