Manchester United’s record goalscorer Wayne Rooney says top players at Chelsea like Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella are “letting themselves down” with their lack of leadership.
A second-string Nottingham Forest side inflicted Chelsea’s sixth consecutive league defeat on Monday in their first Premier League match since Liam Rosenior was sacked.
"It was weird watching the second half of that game and the fans have left the stadium," he told the Wayne Rooney podcast.
"It almost looked like the fans didn't know who to have a go at.
"There wasn't a manager there to blame. It was clear they weren't having Liam Rosenior from the start which is a shame because he got judged way too early.
"It was quiet in Stamford Bridge and those players need to look at themselves. That's Marc Cucurella, that's Enzo Fernandez. It's alright coming out and being vocal about the manager but then go and perform. You have to perform.
"They are both top players but they are letting themselves down. They should be the leaders. They are the ones who have won the World Cup and European Championships with their countries so go and be a leader. But, they are not leading that team and being examples."
Since the current ownership took control in 2022, Chelsea have spent around £1.5bn on players, focusing on securing a raft of younger players on long-term contracts. However, the Blues are set to finish outside of the Champions League places for the third time in four full seasons.
"If you're 24 and getting an eight or nine year contract it's absolutely crazy," Rooney added.
"The money they spend and how they try and operate is absolutely crazy. For a player, you don't want to be tying yourself in for that long at that club. It's madness.
"Experience is key to any successful team and they have very young players who can be world class but when it's tough you need to draw on your reserves and when you have been in those moments before, a lot of those players haven't been through that and they have no experienced players to guide them through.
"With the owners, I'd put a bet on that they don't know too much about football. They are very good business people but there's no one there to give them guidance on football."
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
