Wayne Rooney has launched an extraordinary rant at Manchester United’s players for lacking “emotion” and failing to work hard with manager Michael Carrick on the brink of being sacked.

The former United striker was left furious by the performance in the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday, extending a winless stress to eight games in all competitions with their latest crisis deepening.

And despite Carrick remaining in charge, Rooney has hit out at the current squad and even pleaded to return to the United dressing room to put “a firework up their a****” in a bid to escape the latest crisis at Old Trafford.

“I don’t think the players have a leg to stand on, what’s not fair is the performances they’re giving. I saw the pain and anger on the fans’ faces,” a passionate Rooney said on Stick to United in conversation with Mark Goldbridge.

“Them players walking around a football pitch. You see Martinez, when Rayan ran around him. They’re not getting to the ball, it’s so frustrating as a player. I was a player who, obviously I could score a goal or a bit of ability, whatever, but at least I ran, worked hard and put myself about for the team, even when it was tough.

“These players aren’t doing that, I’d love to go into that dressing room. I’d love to walk in, sit them all f***ing down and say, ‘what the f*** are you doing? What type of performance do you think this is? Do you think you all deserve to wear that shirt with how you’re all walking around the pitch? I’d put a firework up their a**** because they’re f***ing not doing anything.

“Football is a game of emotions, that’s why I hate VAR, it takes the emotions out of the game. If you can’t be emotional when you play football, that’s what it is, that’s why fans love the game. The whole game is about emotions, what it does to you, makes your weekend the best weekend ever, or not wanting to leave the house. But now, the players are numb, they look like they have no emotions and don’t care, some of them might, but they’re getting dragged down.”