“Over the last few years…”: Rooney explains key difference between United fans and their top-four rivals

Manchester United have endured a topsy-turvy time ever since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, although things have looked up over the past few months. The Red Devils are yet to win the Premier League since the 2012/13 campaign, which was their final season under the legendary Scot. Since then, the English giants have had several managers, both temporary and permanent, and have enjoyed sporadic success. United have won two FA Cups, two EFL Cups, one Europa League trophy, and one Community Shield during that period. The Red Devils have also reached the Europa League final and the FA Cup final on two other occasions each during that period, but ended up on the losing side. It is safe to say that the English giants have been far from their best in recent times, but their fans remain as vocal as ever. Senne Lammens recently paid tribute to United fans and hailed Old Trafford’s atmosphere. Club legend Wayne Rooney, who was part of the Red Devils’ recent golden generation, has now praised fans for their continued support despite the team’s recent struggles. Arsenal fans urged to learn from United counterparts Rooney recently touched on the topic of Arsenal fans criticising the team following the recent 2-1 defeat at Manchester City at the Etihad. The defeat saw the Gunners’ lead at the top of the table reduced to three points, with second-placed City also having a game in hand. Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, however, Wazza insisted that Arsenal fans should learn from their United counterparts. He said: “Of course they (Arsenal fans) want to win the league and they’re desperate to win the league, but I think they need to understand they’ve got a role to play.” “If you look at Manchester United for instance, when over the last few years they have been going through a tough time with Eric ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, the fans were right behind the manager and backed the manager at the stadium.” “They were constantly singing and getting behind the team and very rarely booed the team off.” United fans deserve accolades United fans certainly deserve accolades for backing the team despite a demoralising 15th place finish in the Premier League last season under former head coach Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese took charge in the middle of last campaign from Erik ten Hag, but failed to improve results. He also saw his team lose the Europa League final last season, which subsequently ended any chance of securing European football this campaign. The Red Devils invested heavily in his ideas over the summer, but results failed to improve. United were even knocked out of the EFL Cup by League Two minnows Grimsby Town in the Second Round, further adding to Amorim’s woes. Fans, though, remained patient, but it was INEOS who moved to make a change in January, appointing Michael Carrick as caretaker manager until the end of the season. The Englishman has been a revelation so far, powering the Red Devils to third in the Premier League table thanks to a run of eight wins and two draws in his 12 games in charge. With United on the cusp of securing Champions League football for next season, fans have every right to be optimistic about the future. The Race for Champions League Places: 2025/26 Season PosTeamGames PlayedGames WonGames DrawnGames LostGoals ForGoals AgainstGoal DifferencePointsNext Opponent 1Arsenal33217563263770Newcastle United 2Manchester City32207565293667Burnley 3Manchester United331610758451358Brentford 4Aston Villa3317794741658Fulham 5Liverpool331671054431155Crystal Palace 6Chelsea331391153421148Brighton & Hove Albion Source: Premier League website. Final Thoughts United have been starved of glory for a while, and the upcoming summer will be pivotal in their quest to return to the crème de la crème of European football. INEOS, as such, have several key decisions to make, including appointing the permanent manager. Fans will hope that the one who assumes charge this summer can finally reward them for their patience. Meanwhile, Rooney has previously tipped Carrick for the full-time job, as has former skipper Nemanja Vidic. Featured image Richard Heathcote via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.