Rio Ferdinand tells Man Utd the one player they lack to challenge for trophies
Rio Ferdinand reckons Manchester United will only start to get the best from the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba once the club signs a particular type of player.
United were hoping the appointment of Ralf Rangnick would grant the team some stability as they seek a successful end to the season. And while Rangnick has suffered just two losses in 13 games, it cannot paper over several disappointing results.
Indeed, they only have the Champions League left to win this season. And they next face a tricky tie with LaLiga champions Atletico Madrid.
Before that, however, they play both Brighton and Leeds United in the Premier League as they look to get their top-four bid back on track.
United currently sit fifth in the Premier League, just a point shy of West Ham in fourth. But that push for a top-four finish has been held up in recent weeks after a series of 1-1 draws.
Indeed, they have surrendered the lead three times in their last three matches in being held by that scoreline.
That has led Alan Shearer to brand United a ‘leaky, noisy, messy club’.
Ferdinand, meanwhile, does not go quite that far.
United need a Sergeant Major
However, he thinks United do need to find a way to get the most out of their big-game players like Pogba and Fernandes.
As a result, he thinks United must sign someone who can bark instructions and orders at them.
Speaking on his Vibe with Five podcast. Ferdinand said: “What I think Pogba needs and Bruno Fernandes needs… they need a Sergeant Major in that team. Someone who, when they give it away or get a bit lax on the ball or when they’re out of position, a step short where they should be… They need someone in and around them screaming, drilling them.
“They haven’t got that player.”
Rio Ferdinand blasts individual errors
If United are to secure a top-four finish and to go deeper into the Champions League, Ferdinand insists mistakes will have to be cut out.
And he reckons individual errors are exactly what’s causing United to falter in recent weeks.
“In the first 20 to 30 minutes you go ‘oh – I like this’, there’s fluidity, there’s a continuity within the team. There’s a togetherness but the problem is weathering the bad storms,” he added.
“In every game you get a five minute spell or whatever it is, where the other team get hold of the game. Then you get penned back a little bit whether you like it or not.
“It’s about having the balls to be able to get through that. You need that knowhow and I think a big part of that is discipline. I think that’s where we lack compared to top teams.
“Individual mistakes or bad decision making on individual parts is what’s killing the team at the moment. Whether it’s missing a chance, the final ball delivery, defending a situation… Individuals are making mistakes in them areas.”
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