Former captain Wayne Rooney has identified Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay and Fred as three players that are committed to giving their all for Manchester United.
United, who have confirmed that they have reached an agreement with Real Madrid to bring Brazilian international Casemiro, have made a disappointing start to the Premier League campaign, losing their opening two matches. Despite the appointment of Erik ten Hag as their new manager, familiar problems are continuing to persist, with the attitude of certain individuals continuing to be criticised.
The Reds produced one of their worst performances in living memory last Saturday, losing 4-0 to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, and the players faced a wealth of criticism following the full-time whistle, both from supporters and pundits alike. They have been guilty of producing far too many below-par performances over the last 12 months and there is no evidence to suggest that this current decline is going to be arrested anytime soon.
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A number of players have lacked the passion and belief required to pull on a United shirt, with certain individuals having been constantly scrutinised over the last 12 months or so. However, Rooney has sprung to the defence of Maguire, McTominay and Fred, insisting the trio "always try" and have attempted to "lift the group."
"I'm not talking about every player," Rooney said, penning his column for The Times. " Harry Maguire will always try, Fred will always try and Scott McTominay may not be Paul Scholes or Michael Carrick but he will always go out and show some b***s.
"Those three have been trying to lift the group, but it comes down to individuals to take responsibility. Watching United, I see players throwing their arms up and shouting at team-mates but I don’t see them talking, or looking at themselves before blaming others.
"I see them making eye-catching runs to close down the goalkeeper but not 50-yard runs back to stop an attack. I see them going up to the crowd after the game apologising or coming out on social media with all the guff: 'We go again.'
"The fans see through that. My message would be: stop apologising, just get on with your job — and work. That's all the fans want. They want to see them taking responsibility in the 90 minutes."
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