Wayne Rooney thinks Ruben Amorim now has “no excuses” not to excel this season after the Man Utd board brought in new attacking reinforcements.
The Red Devils ended last season with defeat in the Europa League final to Tottenham after finishing the season in a terrible 15th position in the Premier League.
And things have not started much better this season with an opening day defeat to Arsenal, while they were held to a 1-1 draw against Fulham on Sunday.
That has left many fans and former players unimpressed with Man Utd spending around £200m on new players over the summer transfer window so far.
With a full pre-season under his belt, as well as the new signings, Rooney feels that Amorim can now have “no excuses” for falling below the minimum requirements this season.
Rooney said on his BBC Sport podcast: “There’s no excuses now for the manager this season. He’s got to start getting results and getting the results quickly because once you start getting into October, November, if the results don’t change drastically then that’s when the pressure comes.”
READ: Ruben Amorim urged to sell Bruno Fernandes or face Man Utd sack
When asked if Amorim’s record at Man Utd so far gave him any faith that he is the right man to lead the club forward, Rooney replied: “It’s difficult and to sit here and say ‘obviously, 100 per cent’ (he is the right man), I don’t think anyone can do that.
“I don’t think Ruben Amorim would probably say that himself with what we’ve seen since he’s been at the club.
“But I think the recruitment has been good in the summer. I still want to see two or three more players. But it’s difficult to say ‘this is going to be our manager for the next five years’ on what we’ve seen.”
Rooney added: “We might be going to quick on this because Manchester United brings a lot more attention, it’s only two games into the season. But the worrying sign is that we’re seeing things that we saw last season and that’s a concern.”
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Former Man Utd team-mate Gary Neville has “checked” his pre-season optimism after a disappointing start to the season and has urged the club to sign a new midfielder.
Neville said on The Gary Neville Podcast: “(My optimism) has been checked slightly because it felt like there were a couple of the old scars reappearing and opening up.
“I think the goalkeeper is still looking very shaky on those crosses from corners, which can’t continue because that anxiety builds, and then in central midfield I think United have to do a piece of business now.
“I would have liked to have thought that Mainoo could step up and be that person, but it’s quite clear that at this moment in time Ruben Amorim is not having him.
“He starts with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, he then puts Mason Mount back in there and then he brings (Manuel) Ugarte on in front of him, which tells you he’s fourth-choice really.
“That means that they are going to need to get something sorted because it’s going to be a problem.
“The two in there do get exposed when that front three are just a little bit higher and that back five get pushed back a bit.
“Those gaps, those acres of space seem to open up, and I thought United got cut through quite a few times in the second half.
“I think Bruno Fernandes is part of that in there and he (Amorim) is going to have to sort it out.”
