Wayne Rooney’s poor start to the season has led some pundits to suggest that the Manchester United captain has now entered a period of terminal decline, but Eamon Dunphy believes Rooney has been unfairly scapegoated after United’s indifferent start to the season.
The 30-year-old occupied a midfield berth as his side were defeated 3-1 by Watford at Vicarage Road on Sunday.
“Wayne Rooney has been a fantastic player for Manchester United,” Dunphy told Game on listeners on RTÉ 2fm.
“He’s in a poor team at the moment, but I think he serves respect. He’s still a very good footballer, but he’s in bad side.
“It’s not his fault the side is bad - he’s playing out of position.
“He’s still got a lot of football in him, but he needs to be in a good side
“I think to pick on Rooney is simplistic.
“He’s been a shadow of the player he used to be, but he was a very, very, very good player and I think he can be a very important player again.”
Dunphy has been sceptical on the Red Devils’ prospects this season and questioned manager Jose Mourinho’s decision making.
“I don’t think United are anything,” Dunphy added.
“I think it’s a slow train wreck, I said it before the start of the season.
“Mourinho, I think, has lost the plot.”
“This kid will never be a top player” - Eamon Dunphy on Paul Pogba
The former Millwall legend, who offered a scathing critique of Paul Pogba on last week’s show, again cited the signing of the France international as evidence of a lack of cohesive strategy at the club, saying: “It’s a sick club, it’s been in decline, they’ve just paid €100m for a player Alex Ferguson let go for nothing.
“What’s going on?
“I think what’s going on is that Ed Woodward, the chief executive there, needed a big-impact signing in the summer.
“He decided to go for this guy and Mourinho went along with it.
“That’s the problem.
“Why didn’t he go and get Griezmann? Why didn’t he go and get a real player?
“This kid will never be a top player.”
The opening week of the group stages of the Champions League was marked by a number of major drubbings, with Celtic, Legia Warsaw and FC Rostov outclassed by Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
Dunphy is adamant that the current format needs to be changed.
“It does need an overhaul and I think UEFA know it,” he said.
“It’s designed for television, but it’s not good television, when you see bad teams.
“The tournament only really begins in February.
“I might be talking myself out of a job there, but that’s the truth.”
