Former Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand has expressed his surprise at how quickly the mood surrounding Manchester United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, has deteriorated this season. This sentiment followed a heavy 3-0 defeat to Tottenham, where Brennan Johnson scored early, and Bruno Fernandes received a red card just before halftime. After the match, scrutiny intensified around Ten Hag’s future at the club. According to MEN Sport, Ten Hag will stay on for the upcoming matches against Porto and Aston Villa, but his long-term job security remains uncertain, garnering widespread public opinion.
Speaking ahead of a Champions League match between Slovan Bratislava and Manchester City, Ferdinand was asked to share his thoughts on the current state of Manchester United.
On the 3-0 Defeat to Tottenham
“That was embarrassing. There were so many aspects, especially in the first 45, that you look at. Like a centre-back marauding through the United team at Old Trafford. It’s like; ‘Wow’. It’s embarrassing and that’s not going too harsh at all.”
On Team Performance
“United were all over the place in the first half in terms of structure, in terms of the ability to play with the ball in and out of possession. Defensively and all over the park, not taking responsibility as a team but also as individuals. They got their just desserts by the end of this game. I thought the red card had no bearing on the result, or their performance, but we have seen it has just been rescinded which is some great news.”
On Managerial Concerns
“Before a ball was kicked I was quite optimistic, like all United fans, but the fact we are seven or eight games into the season now and people are starting to question the manager’s job. I did not see that turning around this quick and that’s the one worrying thing.”
After providing his assessment, Ferdinand concluded with a request to the interviewer:
“Can we move on now, Laura [Woods] please?”
