Wayne Rooney has delivered a fierce criticism of Manchester United’s current group, saying anyone who believes they are equipped to compete is “deluded” and “living in cuckoo land.”

The club have chosen to stand by manager Michael Carrick despite an ugly eight-match winless spell, with Saturday’s visit of Chelsea next on the schedule. That decision has broadly been met with approval from supporters, particularly after the 3–0 defeat to Bournemouth, which made clear where the frustration lies.

Rooney, though, aimed his anger squarely at the players. In a wide-ranging rant, he accused them of lacking care, intensity and basic commitment to the shirt.

“The players haven’t got a leg to stand on,” he told Stick to United. “What’s not fair is the performances they are giving. I looked at the fans, you could see the pain and anger in their faces when those players are walking around the football pitch. You see Martínez when Rayan ran round him, they are not getting to the ball, it’s so frustrating.

“I could score a goal, had ability or whatever, at least I f—ing ran and put myself about as a team. These players are not doing that.

“I would love to go in that dressing room and say, ‘What the f— are you all doing? What type of performances do you think this is? Do you think you deserve to wear the shirt?’ Put a f—ing firework up their a—- because they are not doing anything.

“We are seeing players who are numb, look like they have got no emotion, look like they don’t care. Some of them might care, some good lads who are getting dragged down. It is so frustrating to watch.”

Rooney also questioned whether the squad is even strong enough, especially in attack. He said the team is, at best, mid-table and argued they are being judged too generously after Michael Carrick’s early impact.

“It is at best a mid-table team, but if you look at all the mid-table teams, what do they get? They get players working hard, running, tackling and I keep saying it, going back to the basics,” he fumed. “These players think they are better than what they are.

“Unfortunately, what happened when Michael Carrick came in at the start is that it has given the players and the board false hope that they are good enough. He has done well, stuck together, managed somehow to finish third, then the board are thinking, ‘We are a top four team,’ when in reality they are miles away from it.

“You are deluded if they think the front three are good enough. They wanted Premier League players, they have brought lads from Wolves and Brentford, who have done well, but for signings to take this Manchester United team to the next level, you are living in cuckoo land if you think they are going to achieve that.”

Chelsea’s Carabao Cup exit against Liverpool brought plenty of talking points, but one of the most notable came from a player who never stepped onto the pitch. Estêvão was named among the substitutes, yet his only involvement was a short warm-up, enough for a section of supporters to make their feelings known as concern over his place in the squad continues to build.

With January approaching, the questions around Estêvão are becoming harder to ignore. The Brazilian arrived with a big reputation, having made his Palmeiras debut at 16 and quickly earned a label that is often overused but, in his case, felt justified. He has long been viewed as one of the game’s most exciting prospects.

His natural position has always been on the right wing, whether at Palmeiras or during his time under former Chelsea bosses Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior. The issue this season is that the current structure does not favour that profile. Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 relies on wing-backs for width and two inside forwards behind the striker, leaving little room for a traditional winger to operate.

Pedro Neto has filled the right-sided role because of his work rate, while Estêvão himself has said he sees his future as a central attacking midfielder. Yet those two advanced midfield roles are occupied by the club’s key figures, which has left little opening for him. Even with Palmer suspended, the route into the starting line-up disappeared once Alonso moved away from a shape that used an attacking midfielder.

The result is a frustratingly thin return. Estêvão has managed only 172 minutes in all competitions so far, the same total he recorded for Brazil during the September-October international window.

The lack of game time has sparked obvious speculation, though there is no clear sign of a falling-out. After the Liverpool defeat, Alonso said: “He could be happier,” Alonso confessed after the Liverpool defeat. “He wants to play. I’m sure Estê will have his moment, it is my responsibility. We know the game in England is really intense, and you need to be up for it. Estê is in his second season. The season is going to be long.”

There are also clear concerns over his physical side, with Alonso seemingly placing more value on strength and intensity. For Chelsea, the problem is straightforward: a 19-year-old talent needs minutes to keep developing, but that opportunity is not arriving. Paris Saint-Germain have been linked, while any move would require Chelsea’s approval, as his contract runs until 2033.

Manchester United are already being linked with possible replacements for Michael Carrick, with Eddie Howe said to be the leading candidate if change is made at Old Trafford.

Carrick’s position is understood to be under increasing pressure, and anything other than victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday would only add to the speculation surrounding his future. According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, United have already begun conversations with possible options for the role.

“[Man Utd] also, because it’s the reality, they also had some conversations with agents, camps, representatives of other managers, because Manchester United had some conversation and that’s absolutely normal,” said the Italian.

“I’m not accusing Man Utd of anything wrong. It’s normal when things are not going well you start preparing for a potential change. So Man Utd had conversations with agents of managers.”

Romano then identified three names he believes sit on United’s list should Carrick be removed. In the order he gave them, those names were Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte.

“I told you that the three names we should take in consideration as free managers are in this order—Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte.

“Three managers very different one from the other and also in terms of approach.

“United are yet to say ‘Okay, let’s go for this coach.’ So the moment is still open but these are three names and obviously to talk with representatives, intermediaries or anyone close to these coaches is absolutely something normal in this situation, in this position for Manchester United.

“Then obviously there could be other managers who can be very attractive but very difficult to get.”

Howe, 48, has been out of work since leaving Newcastle at the end of July and is viewed as the current front-runner. His Premier League experience and man-management are thought to have caught United’s attention, even if there are lingering doubts about whether he has yet managed at a level comparable with Old Trafford.

Nagelsmann, 39, offers a very different profile. He has never coached in England, but his tactical reputation and attractive style have kept him in view. At the same time, his spell with the Germany national team did not fully convince, leaving him with questions of his own.