Wayne Rooney has issued a blunt assessment of Manchester United’s struggles under head coach Ruben Amorim, arguing that the team has regressed rather than improved since his arrival.

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the former United captain and record goalscorer admitted it is becoming harder to defend Amorim’s tenure.

“I want to be as supportive and positive as I can be with the manager and the players,” Rooney said. “But it is very difficult to sit here and say we are seeing progression… We’re seeing none of that, and it is very difficult.”

United’s woes deepened on Sunday with a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the derby, a result that saw large sections of the away support leave the Etihad before the final whistle.

Rooney noted:

“There was an image towards the end of the game where I saw Manchester United fans leaving. You could hear them singing Amorim’s name, but the fact that they were walking out speaks volumes.”

Amorim, who succeeded Erik ten Hag on November 1 last year, has already invested close to £250 million in reshaping the squad to fit his preferred 3-4-3 system. Despite that, results remain poor. Last season, United finished 15th in the Premier League with just 42 points—their lowest tally since 1973-74, the season they were relegated.

Rooney concluded bluntly:

“If the manager is honest with himself, it has got worse.”