Manchester United’s former players, including Wayne Rooney, have been relentlessly criticizing the current squad in their private WhatsApp group, according to Rio Ferdinand.
With United currently struggling in 12th place in the Premier League, their 2024-25 campaign has been far from smooth.
Despite a few standout away performances against rivals like Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool, their home form has been dismal, losing four of their last six league matches.
Ferdinand, a key member of United’s 2008 Champions League and Premier League-winning side, revealed that the ongoing issues at the club are a frequent topic of discussion among members of the legendary squad, including Rooney, Edwin van der Sar, Jonny Evans, Nani, and Anderson.
On his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast with guest Ella Toone, Ferdinand showed Toone how the group, called “Band of Brothers,” has been criticizing the current squad: “It’s just hammering the United team. Wazza [Rooney] was the last person to speak. Some of the stuff that goes on—Patrice Evra gets hammered all the time. We all have a laugh at each other.”
Ferdinand added that despite their separate paths after their time together, they still use technology to stay connected and share their thoughts on the team’s performances.
United’s recent 1-0 victory over Fulham brought some relief, and they will finish their Europa League group stage against Steaua Bucharest on Thursday, before hosting Crystal Palace on Sunday.