Rio Ferdinand launches attack on Manchester United’s style of play | OneFootball

Rio Ferdinand has launched an attack on Manchester United’s recruitment this season and he claims that manager Erik ten Hag’s fate is already sealed, regardless of what happens in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

United fans have been left reeling after coming off the back of their worst ever Premier League season.

Ten Hag’s men finished in eighth position in the table and with a negative goal difference for the first ever time in the Premier League.

In an infuriating season, the Red Devils threw away the chance to qualify for any sort of European competition due to a leaky defence that has conceded a whopping 84 goals in all competitions this season.

Speaking on his YouTube channel Vibe with FIVE, former United legend Rio Ferdinand has pinpointed the main reason he behind the club’s lack of success in this campaign.

Ferdinand believes that the recruitment at the club under Ten Hag has not been good enough and rather harshly gave Jonny Evans as an example, one of the few United players who probably exceeded fans’ expectations this season.

“Jonny Evans, really, no disrespect – I love him – but really he shouldn’t even be there.”

“Really, if you’re looking at Man United being a progressive club [he shouldn’t be there]. But he’s come in and probably been their best centre-back this season. And now you’ve got Casemiro playing there, just filling gaps, and respect to him for doing that, to put himself out there to do it.”

The Champions League winner in 2008 also highlighted the club’s inability to sell unwanted players over the last few years.

Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane will already leave the club this summer on free transfers and the likes of Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all entering the last year of their deals.

“We’ve got players going on free transfers who have cost us a fortune in wages and transfer fees. And we’ve got players still sitting there with one year left on their deals who are going to probably just see them out and we’ll get nothing for them.”

Ferdinand also claimed that this weekend’s cup final will have no bearing on the future of beleaguered manager, Ten Hag.

“I’m not saying that’s what I want, I’m just saying what I believe is going to happen, and I believe that the club are going to look elsewhere I think.”

“I don’t think [winning the FA Cup] changes anything in the eyes of INEOS. I’ve not spoken to anyone there, this is just an assumption, this is what I think.”

Ferdinand then highlighted that this is down to the fact that after two years in charge, the team still continues to look bereft of ideas in defence or attack.

“Put injuries aside, the performances of the team have been so bad. Most teams have had injuries, maybe not to the same extent as Man United.”

“I keep saying this, I sound like a broken record: performance level can drop but your style of football should be there to identify. It’s not. I don’t know what we are. I don’t know who we are. Who are we as a team? What are we?”

The defender then claimed that the club only has one plan A, and after that, it falls to pieces.

“We rely [on Bruno Fernandes]. And that would be an alarm bell for me. The moment Bruno came out of the team, the fall-off of that team was a joke. The worst performance I’ve seen in many, many years against Crystal Palace.”

United will be grateful that their talismanic captain has shrugged off injury and will be available for the FA Cup final but Ferdinand’s point is valid that nobody thinks the over-reliance on one player is a sustainable way to move forward and something INEOS must deal with as soon as possible.

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