Wayne Rooney Says Manchester United Players Must Improve to Help Jose Mourinho

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has said the players need to show more to relieve some of the pressure on manager Jose Mourinho. 

The Red Devils have had an inconsistent beginning to the campaign and sit in eighth place in the Premier League table, nine points behind leaders Manchester City after 10 games. The early-season form prompted questions about Mourinho's future at the club.

Speaking about United in 2018-19, Rooney said he wants to see the players up their level to make things easier for their manager, per BBC Sport (h/t Alex Young of the Evening Standard).

"Obviously they are going through a difficult period at the minute, but Mourinho is very experienced and I think some players have to do a little bit better," he said. "Hopefully they can turn their form around, win a few more games and keep the pressure on the top of the table and get back up there, which is where we all want to see them." 

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The forward also said he has never been aware of a player downing tools. "In my experience, I have never seen or heard of a player not wanting to play in the game because they have had a falling out with the manager," he said.

"I don't think as a player you could do that, you've got to respect the club and the fans and also respect your team-mates. I don't think any player, certainly at Manchester United, will be not playing for Jose, I'm sure they're all working hard behind the scenes to get results."

Rooney left United in the summer of 2017 after spending 13 years at the club. In that time he became the Red Devils' all-time record goalscorer, won the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League on five occasions too.

Rooney will have been a little more content with what he has seen in recent outings from his former team, especially in the Premier League after taking seven points from a possible nine. James Robson of the Evening Standard said the club are ready to back their under-pressure manager too:

Per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, it's clear Mourinho is still fully invested in this set of players:

With that in mind it's imperative the squad shows more, and while Rooney called on experienced figures to make their mark, it's one of the younger members of the squad who has been a talisman recently in Anthony Martial.

The 22-year-old Frenchman has scored four times in his last three Premier League games, including what turned out to be an exceptional winner in the 2-1 victory over Everton on Sunday. 

Per Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, in terms of goals and assists, his output is up there with some of the biggest names in the Premier League:

Although there's still a long way to go for United to be considered alongside some of the best teams in the division, they do steadily seem to be pulling themselves out of their lull. Mourinho will hope the confidence accrued from the performances against Newcastle United, Chelsea and the Toffees can continue to fuel the revival.

Rooney will be watching on from the United States, where he is currently playing his football for DC United. They face Columbus Crew in their first Major League Soccer 2018 playoff encounter on Friday.