Manchester United's Struggles Blamed On Two Transfers From Over 10 Years Ago

Manchester United's continued struggles have been blamed on two transfers that happened whilst Sir Alex Ferguson was still manager, by Wayne Rooney.

Lots of different things have been blamed for the issues that United continue to have, but Rooney has pinpointed the departures of Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, in 2009, as the moment things started going wrong.

"That’s what I could see and that’s why I was asking the questions. Unfortunately, they probably still haven’t recovered from that to this day.

"That’s what I could see and that’s why I was asking the questions. Unfortunately, they probably still haven’t recovered from that to this day.

"A massive part of it was Van Persie. I think him coming in gave everyone a lift, coming in at number nine, scoring the goals he scored.

"That was a bit of a masterstroke from the manager, to bring him in and have him hungry because he was a bit older as well. He really carried us that season."

Whilst the pair didn't always get on, with the club's all time top goalscorer reportedly twice asking for a move away from the club, it was the Scotsman's decision to leave Rooney on the bench for a Champions League game that particularly annoyed the player.

It was just after his wife had given birth to their first child, Kai, in 2009, and the manager told him to leave hospital in order to prepare for a game, only to find himself on the bench.