Wayne Rooney's swipe at Manchester United's lack of spirit has backfired as Everton star prepares to return

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When Wayne Rooney was unveiled as Everton's homecoming hero two months ago, he could not resist a swipe at Manchester United in the rear-view mirror, bemoaning the decline of their renowned dressing-room culture.

'There were standards passed down by Giggsy, Gary Neville and Scholesy that you had to keep,' he said. 

'Over the last few years it was down to me and Michael Carrick but that became more difficult with some of the players who joined the club.'

Wayne Rooney is set to return to Old Trafford for the first time as an Everton player on Sunday

Such sentiments will look slightly hollow on Sunday afternoon when United's record goalscorer returns to Old Trafford. 

Without Rooney and Carrick not having played this season, United are doing very nicely indeed, starting the weekend joint-top of the Premier League and playing with a panache unseen since Sir Alex Ferguson's time.

Meanwhile, Rooney's new club, Everton, have lost their last three matches, failing to score and conceding eight. 

Memories of his two early goals are already fading and on Monday the 31-year-old will appear in court charged with drink-driving.

Rooney re-joined his boyhood club after leaving for Manchester United 13 years ago

Everton travel to Old Trafford on the back of two 3-0 defeats by Tottenham and Atalanta

Even one of his biggest friends and allies in the United dressing-room, Ashley Young, is keen to stress they are thriving without their former captain.

'Of course we have leaders. Just look at the start of the season, it has been incredible,' said Young, who wore the skipper's armband during the 3-0 win against Basle on Tuesday.

'On the pitch we have leaders from the goalkeeper to the front men. Everyone has that winning mentality that comes with a club like United. We showed on Tuesday night why we should be back in the Champions League.

'I felt older when he [Rooney] left! But it is just one of those things, senior status comes to others. On the pitch you want to help the youngsters but we have 11 leaders on the pitch. Not just the captain, we are all talking and pulling in the right direction.'

The way Mourinho handled Rooney's departure underlines he has more political skill than his boorish reputation at Chelsea would suggest.

Three weeks ago Rooney would have returned to Manchester United on a high

Rooney scored on his first two starts this season including against Manchester City

He astutely avoided any criticism of Rooney out of respect to his past achievements but nevertheless made sure he exited in the summer, United even foregoing a transfer fee.

It has allowed the United manager to build his title-challenging team without being distracted by the circus that surrounds English football's highest-profile player.

New No 9 Romelu Lukaku will score more goals than Rooney, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata will create more as No 10s. Saving on Rooney's £250,000-a-week wages helped him sign Nemanja Matic to add power.

Even more importantly in keeping with United's tradition, he has 19-year-old Marcus Rashford to represent the future of the club as Rooney did when he signed in 2004.

Rashford has scored 22 goals for United, two more than Rooney at the same age.

Jose Mourinho astutely avoided public criticism of Rooney in his final year at the club

'When I look at Rashford and Lingard I still think they are 15. The way they live, the way things are simple for them,' says Mourinho.

'I see them as kids and football needs kids, enjoying to play the way they are. He (Rashford) loves football. He loves to train and play, and when that happens you love full stadiums, you love responsibility and you love big matches.'

Whether referring to Rooney or not, Mourinho confessed he enjoys the absence of outside baggage in dealing with the teenage Rashford.

'It looks for me that everything around him is very normal. I think everything is normal,' said the United manager.

'I don't know if he has an entourage of complex dimensions like you see in some players nowadays.'

He never took public issue with Rooney but was aware that in 2013 Ferguson was concerned enough by the player's off-field lifestyle to believe he should be sold.

Rooney shakes hands with Ronald Koeman as he is involved at Goodison Park in July

Whereas United seems a happy camp without Rooney, Everton are struggling with him.

They were hailed during the summer as having the best transfer window of any Premier League club, but not any more.

Their original £45million asking price for Ross Barkley backfired when they paid that amount for Gylfi Sigurdsson and subsequently could not shift Barkley for £25m.

The £75m received for Romelu Lukaku was spent on potential- Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane and Davy Klaassen - rather than a guaranteed goalscorer. 

After a bright start, Rooney has cut a frustrated figure in heavy defeats against Chelsea, Spurs and Atalanta.

Rooney has cut a frustrated figure as Everton have fallen to heavy defeats this week

'It was close to impossible to get someone in who would score the amount of goals Romelu did,' said Koeman.

'Our other new players need time. Klaassen and Sandro Ramirez are new to the Premier League and need time to adapt. I heard stories about Mkhitaryan needing a full season and he is a fantastic player.'

On Rooney's return, Koeman added: 'Wayne made a big contribution to Man United at a time they had a lot of good players like Giggs.

'He was part of that and finally he chose Everton because he didn't get enough game time and so came back home.'

Koeman has never lost at Old Trafford, but this will be his biggest test.