The mood in the Manchester United camp doesn't seem very positive ahead of the festive fixtures as they prepare to take on Stoke on St. Stephen's Day.
In an interview ahead of that game, Wayne Rooney sat down to talk in a refreshingly honest way about the problems that the team are experiencing at the moment, and the effect that's having in the dressing room.
"In the last few weeks, results haven't been great for us and it's frustrating," said Rooney. "As a player it's hard to deal with, so we have to be strong together and try and get the better results we need".
"It's not nice when you're getting criticised every week, every game. It's tough for the players to deal with, we get hurt, we're proud people".
He added that there has been a lot of coverage recently that has been unpleasant and difficult for his family to read, saying that "there's people in my family who aren't used to it, and it's tough for them. But it's part of football, part of being a football player these days. I know my performances can be better, I know that. I'm working hard to try and improve".
Speaking about Van Gaal's future, Rooney said "a lot of people are talking about things they believe are happening, but in reality a lot of people who are writing that stuff don't know really anything about what's happening".
As for the striker himself, his own form has been the subject of much talk, given that he's currently on the worst goalscoring drought of his career, averaging a goal every 569 minutes in the Premier League. His previous worst was back in 2003, when he was still just a youngster, and averaging a goal every 271 minutes.
Via Sports Joe
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
