Wayne Rooney is having a difficult time of things at the moment. Stuck in a lengthy poor run of form, Rooney’s performances on the pitch forced Jose Mourinho to do the unthinkable for a Manchester United manager and remove the club’s most famous player from the squad’s starting eleven. But while the manager and the club’s fans have acknowledged Rooney’s troubles, now it seems that new teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic is growing frustrated with him, too, with the Swedish striker looking irritated with his attacking partner during the club’s Europa League match against Zorya.
Rooney was brought on as a sub in the second-half of the match, after Ibrahimovic had given Man U the 1-0 lead. However, Rooney failed to make a positive impact on the match after taking to the pitch, leading to an awkward moment in the 86th minute in which he failed to comply with Ibrahimovic’s instructions. As the Swedish international pressed Zorya’s centre-back, he signaled for Rooney to do the same in an attempt to force a mistake from their rivals, only for Rooney to leave his man unmarked. After the ball is easily passed around Ibrahimovic, the striker can be seen looking exasperated with Rooney’s poor decision-making.
Watch the moment below:
Elsewhere in the game, Rooney spoiled a great attacking opportunity for United after failing to center the ball for either Pogba or Rashford, instead sending it hurtling towards the left wing:
Much has been made of Rooney’s declining form, with many believing that Mourinho could be set to place the veteran striker on the transfer list. With performances like these, it’s difficult to argue that he shouldn’t.
