Manchester United’s players need a “firework up their arses” and reminding what it means to play for the club, according to Wayne Rooney.

Under-fire United boss Michael Carrick arrived at Carrington early on Tuesday morning with his future still up in the air after a 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday left his side 16th in the table.

United’s all-time leading goalscorer Rooney, who won five Premier League titles as well as the 2008 Champions League, feels the mentality of some the current squad must be called into question, along with the club’s recruitment strategy.

“The players haven’t got a leg to stand on. What’s not fair is the performances they are giving,” Rooney said on the Stick to United podcast.

“I looked at the fans, you could see the pain and anger in their faces when those players are walking around the football pitch. You see (Lisandro) Martinez when (Bournemouth winger) Rayan ran round him, they are not getting to the ball, it’s so frustrating.

“I could score a goal, had ability or whatever, at least I f****** ran and put myself about as a team. These players are not doing that.

“I would love to go in that dressing room and say, ‘What the f*** are you all doing? What type of performances do you think this is? Do you think you deserve to wear the shirt?’ Put a f****** firework up their arses because they are not doing anything.

“We are seeing players who are numb, look like they have got no emotion, look like they don’t care. Some of them might care, some good lads who are getting dragged down. It is so frustrating to watch.”

Rooney feels the squad is “absolutely a million miles away” from the level needed to challenge in the Premier League again.

“It is at best a mid-table team, but if you look at all the mid-table teams, what do they get? They get players working hard, running, tackling and I keep saying it, going back to the basics. These (United) players think they are better than what they are,” he said.

“Unfortunately, what happened when Michael Carrick came in at the start is that it has given the players and the board false hope that they are good enough. He has done well, stuck together, managed somehow to finish third, then the board are thinking, ‘We are a top four team’, when in reality they are miles away from it.

“You are deluded if they think the front three are good enough. They wanted Premier League players, they have brought lads from Wolves, Brentford, who have done well, but for signings to take this Manchester United team to the next level, you are living in cuckoo land if you think they are going to achieve that.”

Rooney added: “The squad is absolutely a million miles away. The worst thing for Michael Carrick, he has given the board a bit of hope when in reality, they needed a big overhaul and have done for years.

“The midfield, spending that amount on those midfielders, is absolutely crazy. I feel for Michael, he has being let down, he hasn’t been good enough, but the players have let him down massively.”