Rio Ferdinand hands Rúben Amorim and his Manchester United squad some words of encouragement as a Mikel Arteta comparison is made.
Manchester United currently sit in sixth place following the intense 4-4 draw at home to Bournemouth. With eyes set on the European spots, consistency will be key over the coming games. United face Aston Villa and Newcastle United before the new year, which will be two hugely important games to the campaign for European football.
Following United’s draw with Bournemouth, some concerns have been raised over Rúben Amorim’s side. United led twice during the game but were unable to stay ahead. The Red Devils let in four goals and many more big chances that Bournemouth didn’t finish, causing concerns over United’s structure in defence.
With AFCON departures taking place and Casemiro suspended for the next game, the United squad could be heavily rotated at Villa Park. Kobbie Mainoo is expected to be handed his first start of the season, and further rotation will be needed to fill in for Amad and Bryan Mbeumo.
Rio Ferdinand played over 350 games for United and won six Premier League titles and a Champions League, captaining the side on many occasions. He recently spoke about the state of the Manchester United squad and Amorim, alongside ex-Red Phil Jones.
Ferdinand says “Amorim needs that time”
Via the Inside Carrington podcast, Ferdinand commented on the attitude of the United squad coming into the season. He said: “I don’t know. I wouldn’t be able to talk about culture because I’m not here enough and I don’t see enough, but the atmosphere and the vibe that I felt on the tour in the States, I said it openly, that this felt different to last couple of years.”
“There was a little bit more of a buzz and an energy and then the season starts and then there’s, it’s still a little bit up and down at times, but up and down, but doing that [he says, while visualising an upward trend with his hand] still compared to where it was last year, which I think is positive.”
Mikel Arteta is currently in his sixth year as Arsenal manager, despite seeing just an FA Cup in his opening season, and the club has decided to stick with him and his way of playing. This faith in the manager has seen vast improvement over the seasons, with Arsenal currently top of both the Premier League and Champions League tables.
Ferdinand went on to compare the patience given to Arteta in comparison to some of the reactionary decisions made at United over the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. “And I think as fans, like we, even us, we’re impatient. I mean, we want, we want stuff, we want to see the results immediately, but it’s, it just isn’t like that. I mean, Arteta has been at Arsenal how long now? Five, six years?”
“Still ain’t won the league, but they’ve seen an improvement, and they’re… it shows you, you need time to build anything. So I think that’s why I think Amorim needs that time.”
Since Sir Alex’s retirement, no United manager has lasted more than three years (half the time given to Arteta so far). Ferdinand feels that patience and faith in the club could see an improvement similar to that of Arteta’s Arsenal side.
United squad have “good spirit”
Ferdinand also spoke on the atmosphere at the United training ground at the moment; he said: “When I walked in [to Carrington last week], it was like, I’ve got a nice feeling here. Do you know what I mean? Watching the lads from afar in the gym, there’s a good spirit that seems to be in there. Do you know what I mean?
“Everyone’s bouncing about, they’re happy. And there’s players in there that I’m looking at going, ‘I didn’t think you’d be as jovial, the limited time you’re getting,’ do you know what I mean? Or ‘people have been on your case a little bit, I don’t know, you’ve still got a nice spirit’.”
With United being the biggest team in England, the players are often targets of drama and criticism. Ferdinand speaks on how he has seen a change in the squad, and there is a sense of togetherness despite the negative news that seems to inevitably surround the club.
Ferdinand went on to say: “And I think that hopefully bodes well for the remainder of the season. And results just carry on doing that. And we finish in a place where you go, right, that’s a big improvement on last season.” With faith in the manager, Ferdinand believes we will see a big improvement over last year’s shocking 15th place league finish
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