Wayne Rooney has launched a sharp attack on Manchester United pair Lisandro Martínez and Bruno Fernandes after their recent criticism of the club, describing their conduct as damaging and accusing them of shifting responsibility on to others.

The former United striker said the situation has only added to the pressure around Carrick, and he argued that the latest comments from inside the squad have exposed a deeper problem at Old Trafford.

“When Martínez came out, I said this is an absolute nightmare because it will rip the dressing room apart, and that was the start,” he told The United Stand . “We’ve seen it now with Bruno and you’re going to see it with more players. The reason why is because them players, they don’t want to take responsibility.

“You can say whether Bruno was right or wrong in what he said, but you have to take responsibility on the pitch, you have to take responsibility as a group of players and never mind who your manager was. There were times when me and Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t talk, but I’d run through a brick wall for him on the pitch because I want to play for myself, I want to play for the club, I want to play for the fans.

“These players, they’re selfish. They care about themselves, they don’t care about their teammates, don’t care about the manager, about the staff or the fans, they care about themselves.

“If they’re not getting what’s right for them … they’re like babies and just throwing their toys out of the pram and go and try and deflect the blame on to anyone else but themselves. They have to look at themselves. If they’ve looked at themselves, if they’re honest with themselves, then start looking at other people.”

Rooney also said the squad has enough ability to do better, but insisted the players must prove it on the pitch rather than speak publicly.

“Martínez, for instance, as much as the fans will agree and say, ‘oh yeah, this is brilliant, he’s coming out and speaking against the club,’ he’s doing it to take heat off himself,” Rooney continued.

“Bruno, he’s having probably the worst run of form he’s had since he’s been at the club and again, it’s no coincidence, he’s putting pressure on someone else because he doesn’t want to face it. He doesn’t want to deal with it himself.

“If he looks at himself in the mirror, if Martínez looks himself in the mirror, all the players … they’ll find what is looking back at them is them and it’s not good enough. They need to show more. ]

Michael Carrick remains in charge for now despite Manchester United’s poor start to the 2026/27 campaign, with the club deciding not to act after another damaging result.

United are winless in their last seven matches in all competitions and have managed only two victories this season, both against recently promoted Ipswich Town and Champions League debutants Sabah. Under the circumstances, some past managers have been removed for less, yet Carrick was still at work on Thursday morning.

According to the Daily Mail, it is “business as usual” for the manager, who is expected to hold his regular pregame press conference on Friday ahead of the league meeting with Bournemouth. That will inevitably bring more questions about his future, along with any further reaction to Bruno Fernandes’s incendiary remarks about the side’s tactics in the heavy defeat to Como.

From the outside, the impression is that the club still believes Carrick can recover the situation, even with results deteriorating and public criticism coming from figures such as Fernandes and Lisandro Martínez. United’s decision not to sever ties after Wednesday’s Champions League setback suggests that backing remains in place, at least for the short term.

There may also be a practical reason for holding off. The Daily Mail reports that the delay “buys United time” to line up a successor. Antonio Conte and Julian Nagelsmann are among the latest names linked with the role, while Fabian Hürzeler has also been mentioned.

Any change would be a significant one, with a new appointment becoming the club’s eighth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson departed in 2013.

For Carrick and United, the fixture list offers little relief. Bournemouth arrive first, and the club has failed to beat them in their last six meetings. That is followed by a trip to Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea will sense an opportunity against a vulnerable back line.

After that comes Roma in the Champions League, before Aston Villa visit, with the possibility that United will head into the international break in a weaker position than they are now. A return to Anfield against Liverpool then awaits when the season resumes.

Manchester United have reportedly fined Lisandro Martínez after his public criticism of club officials earlier this week.

The centre-back first addressed the matter in a long social media statement, where he admitted frustration may have taken hold but offered no apology. United then had to wait until Thursday for a further update, when Martínez posted again and said the issue was now “behind us.”

BBC Sport report that the process of drawing a line under the incident also includes a financial penalty, with Martínez having accepted formal punishment for speaking against the hierarchy.

That leaves manager Michael Carrick free to select him for Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Leeds United. Whether Martínez starts, and in what role he is used, remains to be seen.

United are keen to move forward, but the wider consequences of the episode are expected to linger well into 2027. Martínez is central to that discussion because his contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign, even if the club can extend it by another 12 months.

The option would likely be used to protect his value, yet finding a way to keep him beyond next summer appears far more complicated. Martínez has clearly been unhappy with the direction of the club, and that sentiment has become public.

The story has spread widely over the past few days, reaching the social media feeds of some of the biggest players in the game. For United, that brings another layer of concern, as some potential targets could now think twice about joining if their own ambitions are as high as those Martínez has expressed.

It now falls to United’s sporting department to steady matters. Their decisions will be closely watched, and any further disruption would only deepen the problem.