Wayne Rooney slammed two Crystal Palace stars – one of whom has been linked to Manchester United – after their shocking FA Cup defeat to Macclesfield.
In the greatest upset in the history of the competition, non-league Macclesfield defeated holders Palace 2-1 on Saturday.
The National League North side completely outplayed and humiliated the Premier League club at Moss Rose, with Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts the heroic goalscorers.
Yeremy Pino pulled a goal back late on with a fantastic free-kick but it was the only moment of quality in a truly terrible performance from the Eagles
Injuries to key players and fatigue from a congested festive schedule forced Oliver Glasner to rotate his side, but the starting XI still featured big names and international stars.
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This includes England midfielder Adam Wharton who has been linked with a £100million transfer to Old Trafford and defender Marc Guehi who has the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City after him.
Rooney, whose younger brother John is Macclesfield manager, slated the Palace duo at half-time of the match, when the Silkmen were 1-0 up.
‘It’s the players who are playing more regularly for Palace who I think have been more disappointing,’ the United and England legend said on BBC Sport.
‘I think Wharton has been very sloppy, he’s given too many balls away. It’s them players who need to help the younger players who have come into the team.
‘The captain Guehi, Wharton, I think they’ve been slow, complacent on the ball. I’ve been more disappointed with them than the players who have come in.’
As well as big money moves, Wharton and Guehi are widely tipped to be in England’s World up squad or even starting XI this summer and they’ll need to put this game – easily the worst of their careers so far – behind them.
‘As good as Macclesfield was, I thought Crystal Palace were so bad today,’ Rooney added post-match.
‘In the Premier League they’re playing nice football. Today, Macclesfield roughed them up and they absolutely could not deal with it.
‘The manager Glasner will be absolutely disappointed, but this is about Macclesfield. What they’ve shown today is spectacular.’
Glasner was indeed seething with his team’s performance, saying: ‘We give congratulations to Macclesfield for winning.
‘We had no kind of quality today and I saw no one who could win a dribble. Then conceding set goals and timing in the header.
‘If you can’t create clear chances, it is a lack of quality that we have shown today. We deserved to lose. [Lack of] quality from everyone.
‘Honestly, I have no explanation for what I have seen today and we can find excuses but you don’t need tactics and a manager for these games. So I think if you just show what you are capable of and show pride then you perform in a different way.’
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