Rooney calls Amorim 'naive' for saying Man Utd want Premier League title

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has defended himself after being criticised as "naive" by former captain Wayne Rooney. Rooney's criticism stemmed from Amorim's claim that Manchester United's goal is to win the Premier League title.

Manchester United suffered their 10th defeat in the 24 games under Amorim's management. They were eliminated from the FA Cup fifth round after losing to Fulham on penalties at Old Trafford. This marked the Portuguese coach's sixth defeat at Old Trafford since taking over in November, making winning the Europa League the only realistic route back to European competition next season.

However, in a post-match interview with BBC Sport and at the subsequent press conference, Amorim spoke of Manchester United's desire to win their first Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013. "Our goal is to win the Premier League," Amorim said. "I know we are losing games, but the goal is still to win the Premier League again. I don’t know how long it will take. We have a goal, and we are going to keep going, whatever happens."

Rooney, as a commentator for Match of the Day, reacted to Amorim's comments by suggesting that Amorim should focus more on short-term goals that might save his job. "I think to say they are looking to win the Premier League is a bit naive, because they are a long way off that, from where they are," he said. "I think he will get time, but it is not a free pass because there will be higher expectations of him at Man United than what we have seen since he has come in. For him to say win the Premier League, how can they compete? To get further up the table, I think that is their next step."

Rooney's comments carry significant weight given his achievements at Manchester United. He remains Manchester United's all-time leading goalscorer and won five league titles and the Champions League during Ferguson's last great era. Responding to Rooney's comments, Amorim said: "Winning the Premier League is our goal. To think that we are going to achieve it this season or be the best contenders next season is naive. I know in this moment everyone knows everything. When I finished my [playing] career, I was a pundit. I know it is easy. Maybe not in my hands, but the goal of us as a club as a whole is to win the Premier League, like we did in the past with all the great glory and legends. We are in a difficult moment. I am not naive, that is why I am here coaching Man United at 40 years old."