"Manchester United have to be a top-one team not top-three" - Wayne Rooney responds to Cristiano Ronaldo's comments 

Derby County manager Wayne Rooney has responded to Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent comments that Manchester United should be unhappy with anything less than a top-3 finish in the Premier League.

Cristiano Ronaldo claimed in an interview with Sky Sports that he would not accept anything less than a top-3 finish for Manchester United this season. His former teammate and Manchester United’s top-scorer Wayne Rooney begged to differ.

During a recent press conference, Rooney claimed:

"Manchester United have to be a top-one team, not top-three. 'That's the demands which the fans put on you, the demands that the club has. Of course, they're going through a difficult period but make no mistake, that's a club that has to be winning championships."

Rooney added:

"It has to be winning trophies and that's the pressure with coming and playing or working for Manchester United. That's the level they need to be back to. I'm sure they'll do the right things to get them back to that place."

Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo’s vision for Manchester United seems a distant dream

Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent comments came before he launched a scathing criticism of Manchester United’s younger players. The Portuguese suggested that some of his younger teammates have not been too keen to heed his advice.

Ronaldo’s comments with respect to finishing in the top-3 being acceptable were obviously made keeping in mind the current situation. United are currently languishing in seventh place. They have let go of multiple opportunities to close the gap on a top-4 spot in recent weeks.

However, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney will have to accept that it is not the same Manchester United where they won trophies under Sir Alex Ferguson. The club has undergone a steady decline since the legendary manager's departure.

The club under Ferguson was known to have talented superstars. However, the feature that defined Manchester United back then was that they were willing to outwork their opponents week in and week out. United have lacked this output in recent years despite the presence of quality players in the team.