Manchester United came out on top 3-2 against AS Roma in the Champions League on a rollercoaster night at Old Trafford.
The match
The first half was United at their worst, and unfortunately, this has been a regular sight this season.
They were chaotic and lifeless as the Italian visitors roared into a 2-0 lead inside the first 17 minutes.
The home side could hardly muster much of a response in the first 45 minutes and were deservedly behind.
Nonetheless, Michael Carrick’s side roared back into life in the second half, creating numerous chances before finally completing the comeback 3-2 for a much-needed victory, not just in the Champions League but also for the team’s season.
Wayne Rooney’s thoughts
Speaking to Amazon Prime (via football365.com) at half-time, Rooney tore into Bruno Fernandes.
When referencing the Romans’ first goal he said, “you’re in the Champions League and with all the talk and criticism the team have got, you were expecting some sort of reaction. There was nothing, absolutely nothing.”
He continued, “Roma took the ball and were more aggressive, no one on the United team put a tackle in. They were really struggling down the left-hand side.”
Continuing his dissection of the goal he explained, “you just want to see something, some sort of fight and passion and desire to win the football game but there was nothing. For the first goal, if you’re playing in a system, when Dalot goes higher, Bruno should go into that position. He has to run back, you’re the captain of the football club, run back and take responsibility.”
He implored the side to play as a team and cover a teammate if they find themselves out of position.
Rooney added, “I feel so sorry for the fans because they don’t know what to do. They’ve not been in this position for years, they don’t know whether to get behind the team or to get on their backs. I feel so sorry for them.”
Nonetheless, the second half was much more of what every United fan wants to see, and Rooney was also more positive after the match.
He explained, “the second-half was amazing, they were front-footed and they deserved to win the game in the end. The first half was terrible but we saw the passion and fight we wanted in the second half. The crowd got right behind the team and you felt like they could go on to win the game.”
Speaking specifically on the captain, Rooney stated, “Bruno Fernandes has shown a bit of passion in defending himself on what he thought was right, but more importantly we have seen that passion and fight on the pitch because the first half was terrible. The first half had none of what we saw in the second half.”
Featured image Richard Heathcote via Getty Images
