Rio Ferdinand Manchester United legend claims some of the club’s players are struggling to cope with the pressure and responsibility brought by one of the largest teams in world football.
His comments blocked the Red Devils’ worst results in the game, regardless of the rest of the fixtures after Manchester United beat Newcastle 4-1 on Sunday.
Even if Manchester United wins all the remaining matches and finishes with 56 points, they will still reach 58 points against the worst score of 58 points in the 2021/22 season.
While the Europa League still offers a potential silverware avenue, the team faces a daunting task with a 2-1 lead against Lyon in a few minutes of last week’s dying leg. Now, the return leg at Old Trafford is crucial on Thursday.
Club idol Roy Keane did not back down, labeling players “both physically and mentally weak.” Ferdinand now joins the conversation, expressing frustration and disappointment at the team’s mentality.
“You’ll find a lot of information about the players,” Ferdinand said on his Rio de Janeiro podcast (via The Daily Mail). “And the pressure at Manchester United is the same as the pressure in the Premier League.
“Some people don’t like to hear this, but it’s the truth. When you play for this club, the responsibility is huge. History is huge – some of these players don’t seem ready to take on the weight.
“It has become a burden to them, not a privilege. This mentality has to change. They have to accept the challenge and not avoid it.”
Ferdinand, who joined Leeds’ United in 2002 in the main era of Sir Alex Ferguson, admitted that the current environment is very different from the victory culture he was involved in.
“I feel for them. I’m in a winning team with a great mindset. This foundation no longer exists,” he said.
He also shared a moment with Mason Mount’s father who emphasized the size of the club’s body: “I said to him, ‘This is a big club, isn’t it?” He just looked at me in awe and said, “Yes, wow, that’s big.”
Ferdinand stressed that the gravity of playing for Manchester United is hard to explain – but it is something that every player must understand and respect.
“It’s hard to describe how heavy the shirt is. But that’s not an excuse – you just need to know what that means.”
He further criticized the team’s current offensive output and pointed to goals from strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, who had only three Premier League goals in total in 59 games.
He added: “If I were in this situation, I could not even show up. I was too embarrassed.”
“I know the players are working hard. I’ve talked to people at the club – they’re working hard. But now, that’s not enough. Some things have to change.”
