Rooney credits PlayStation PSP sessions for United success as West Ham face managerial scrutiny
Rooney says on-air teamwork from SOCOM on PSP helped Manchester United; he also weighs in on West Ham's leadership turmoil and the need for a solid foundation.
Wayne Rooney says Manchester United's success during his playing days owed much to the communication built by playing video games on the team bus. On his BBC podcast The Wayne Rooney Show, the former United forward said the squad would play five-versus-five on SOCOM on the PlayStation Portable to sharpen tactical talk and reinforce team cohesion.
He recalled a group that included Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, John O'Shea and Wes Brown, with players required to call out teammates, revive those who were down and shift positioning as if they were on the Old Trafford pitch. Rooney said the on-screen dynamics mirrored how they played in real matches: Carrick as a “sneaky calm” brain, Rooney charging into the thick of a clash, and others adapting their roles to the situation. The sessions were not without friction; Edwin van der Sar would often get frustrated by the chorus of voices on the bus, sometimes moving away to escape the shouting.
Rooney then turned to West Ham, saying the club needs a “good foundation” rather than jumping between managers, as Potter faces growing internal scrutiny after Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Crystal Palace. Potter, 50, took charge in January, replacing Loptegui, but has won six of 25 games, with 14 defeats and five draws. Options to replace him include Nuno Espirito Santo, Slaven Bilic and Gary O'Neil, according to BBC reporting, and the club would be on its third appointment since David Moyes left in May 2024. “It takes time to then get players out, get players in and then before you know it, that manager doesn't get the results and then they're gone and you're back to square one,” Rooney said. “I think for the club to have a good foundation would help.”
Rooney also argued that the strategy at Manchester United in recent years has shifted with managerial philosophy, contrasting the stability of clubs such as Brentford and Brighton with the frequent changes at United. “Slaven Bilic before — I know that was a while ago, and maybe talk of him coming back — has a different philosophy and when you're changing from philosophy to philosophy, which Manchester United have been doing in terms of Ten Hag and now Amorim, it is a completely different way,” he said. The remark underscored how a club’s playing identity can be shaped by more than just the head coach.
West Ham's start to the season has been difficult. They have lost four of five league fixtures, with only a win over Nottingham Forest to their name, sit 19th, and have conceded 12 goals while scoring five—the joint-fifth-lowest tally in the league. They were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Wolves. They return to action on Monday, 29 September, against Everton, where Moyes will be back on the touchline after his departure in 2024. Rooney noted that clubs such as Brentford and Brighton have built clear long-term philosophies that persist beyond the manager in charge, arguing that West Ham’s challenge lies in establishing a similar foundation rather than cycling through coaches.
In summing up his view of club philosophy, Rooney pointed to United's recent turnover of coaches (from Erik ten Hag to Ruben Amorim) as evidence that changing the playing style with every appointment can hinder a club's ability to develop consistency. The guest on his show emphasized that a stable framework helps players translate ideas from training to matchday performance, a point he said West Ham would do well to heed as they navigate a challenging start to the campaign.