Former Manchester United defender believes the team’s manager Erik Ten Hag would be happy to sell the whole team if he could after the horrendous start. Ten Hag’s campaign with Manchester United has got off to a horrid start as they were beaten by Brighton and Hove Albion in their opening match of the season at Old Trafford by 2-1.
Subsequently, the Red Devils were obliterated by Brentford FC while playing away by 4-0. In fact, Erik Ten Hag subbed only three players in the second game but he revealed that he could have subbed all of the 11 players on the pitch if he had the option of doing so.
Such was the poor level with which Manchester United played against Brentford and as expected the Dutchman was frustrated by his player’s poor show.
Rio Ferdinand said on Vibe with FIVE podcast (as quoted by The Manchester Evening News): “He’s definitely coming in here and I guarantee he is sitting there amazed. ‘Like what is this? This isn’t what I expected to come back into.’ I reckon Ten Hag is walking in thinking ‘I didn’t know it was this bad.’ Is it irretrievable?”
He added, “Does it need an absolute mass turnover where all you aren’t good enough and we’ll get rid of all of you?. You can’t do that. I think that’s the dream scenario. If Erik ten Hag could say: ‘I’ll get rid of all these players and start with another 11’ – he would. I think he actually would.”
In fact, former England center-half believes Manchester United’s youngsters should be given chances in the first team as the main players have failed to put up a decent performance.
“Do you know what? Throw the kids in, I would. You know why? When you don’t get effort, you don’t deserve to get the shirt. When you don’t get the right application, you don’t deserve to get the shirt.
He continued: “When you don’t have the balls to play, you don’t deserve to get the shirt. When you’re not working, when you’re not running yourself into the ground, you don’t deserve to wear the shirt.”
Manchester United will next face Liverpool on 23rd August on 12:30 am IST.
