Rio Ferdinand has taken aim at the way Manchester United is run following their humiliating 4-0 defeat to Liverpool last night.
The former Manchester United defender was speaking on his YouTube channel as the gap between Manchester United and the top sides was there for all to see in last night’s performance.
It’s been a season to forget for Manchester United, with no silverware yet again, rumours regarding the futures of players and uncertainty of management next season. The club is in turmoil.
Combine these factors with the performances on the pitch, and the result for no surprise to Ferdinand, who was speaking on his youtube programme FIVE today.
"It ain’t alarming because we’ve been seeing it coming.
"I said in the last thing I posted, Man United play the way they did against Everton, they’ll get pumped four or five nil, and they got pumped four nil.
"It’s just embarrassing. It’s gone from angry at the beginning, to now you’re just sitting here feeling really, really sad about it.”
The problems at the club can be seen with how many players are set to be leaving the side. Midfielder Nemanja Matic confirmed last week he would be leaving the club at the end of the season, while Paul Pogba’s contract also runs out in the summer.
Speculation has also been mounting around the future of Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford, with neither player hitting the heights they are capable of.
The former England defender claims high profile players, including himself, regularly turned down big sides due to their passion for the club.
"I think there’s 15 or so players who are getting ready to pack up their bags and leave Manchester United, when has that ever happened before?
"You might get a superstar like Cristiano Ronaldo or Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who might move on to another dream after conquering the league in England.
"I turned down massive contracts abroad because I wanted to stay at Manchester United, it was the place to be, the badge meant something.”
The 43 -year-old looked back on when he came up against Liverpool, at which they were in a similar situation to what Manchester United are currently in.
However, no matter what form Liverpool were in, he admitted it was never easy taking on their biggest rivals, who always worked hard to get a result, unlike his former team last night.
"It makes me think when I used to play Liverpool and they were at their worst. They were struggling to compete for the Premier League on a consistent basis and people were like "their fall from grace has been a great demise". This Man United team is worse than the worst Liverpool teams I played against.
"We used to go to Anfield and Fergie used to sit there and go "right lads you'll never get a better opportunity to batter them at Anfield. This is the worst Liverpool team I've put a team up against". And you know what, they were never easy games. Always tough games.
'The teams then didn't have as much quality in terms of profile of players Man United had now. They didn't lack heart, didn't lack desire. You went a goal down and they made you fight.
"They made us work for it, didn't have the quality we had but they tried to match us for work rate and effort and graft. The ball is at the either end and Torres is stamping on your foot, having to get stitches at half time cos your foot is pouring with blood.'
Liverpool are the perfect example of a club that has progressed year on year, with clever signings that weren’t necessarily big names at the time, but have turned into world class players.
Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Diego Jota were bought for under 45 million, with Jota the most expensive at 40.
However, their worth has increased significantly since arriving to Anfield, with their development seen in their performances.
Manchester United however, have thrown huge money at big names like at players like Pogba and Jadon Sancho, who have not developed or even improved since coming to Old Trafford, which Rio Ferdinand believes is part of the problem.
"You can’t get away from the fact that the players that have been brought in have not been good enough.
"They haven’t even improved since they’ve got here, they’ve probably got worse, which is alarming.
"If that’s the case it all needs ripping up and starting again.”
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