United legend tears into “flat” performance versus Sunderland, pinpoints the one thing Carrick will have learnt

Manchester United drew 0-0 with Sunderland at the weekend. The Red Devils were scintillating at times versus Liverpool the week before, but this match was a far cry from that performance. In fact, United were fortunate to escape with a draw, relying on the brilliance of goalkeeper Senne Lammens to keep them in the game. Despite this, the Red Devils did have a great chance in the final seconds of the game to win it when Matheus Cunha was left alone in the penalty area, but he fired his effort straight at the Sunderland goalkeeper. It turned out to be a valuable point, as both Liverpool and Aston Villa also dropped points, and United now only need a point from their remaining two matches to secure third place. Wayne Rooney United’s all-time leading goalscorer, Wayne Rooney, was speaking on the BBC’s Match of the Day programme reviewing the game, and it is safe to say that he was far from impressed by what he witnessed. Reflecting on the match, he stated, “Manchester United’s performance was flat. It felt like an ‘end-of-season’ game for both teams.” Numerous players were given a chance to start who do not normally feature, such as Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount, but they did not seem to take the assignment that seriously. Rooney posed the question, “but did the players that came in today for United do enough to prove that they should be at the club next season? Probably not.” Depth needed The former teammate of current manager Michael Carrick claimed the match would be a useful reminder to see what his former side need to improve in the summer window. Rooney explained, “it will be clear to Michael Carrick that there has to be some big investment in the summer for them to compete in the Champions League.” 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 Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.