Rio Ferdinand has highlighted the Manchester United player he ‘feels sorry for’.
This season has been another challenging one for the Red Devils, as their domestic performance remains underwhelming.
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Before the 2024/25 campaign began, there was hope that Erik ten Hag would build on their FA Cup success and guide United back to the upper echelons of the Premier League. ..Continue Reading
However, the team’s performance arguably deteriorated, leading to the Dutchman’s dismissal in October.
Ruben Amorim was then appointed as Ten Hag’s successor, following his impressive stint at Sporting Clube de Portugal.
The 40-year-old has struggled to implement his playing style effectively.
Currently, United are languishing in 15th place in the Premier League, trailing leaders Liverpool by 34 points.
In a recent statement, former United defender Ferdinand expressed sympathy for captain Bruno Fernandes, who has been a crucial player since joining in 2020.
He said on his podcast: “Bruno [Fernandes] is massively disrespected. All this talk about him not being captain material is trying to look for negatives in his game.
“Since he’s come, 28 goals, 18 assists in his first season, that’s 46 goal involvements. Ten goals and 13 assists in his second season. Third season, 14 goals, 13 assists. He’s got ten now and 12 assists. That says to me and it’s screaming one thing: consistency, output. This is what this guy brings and delivers.”
Ferdinand added: “Some of the things he gets called out for, his body language etcetera… yeah, there could be improvements there, but that is borne out of frustration, that’s borne out of not being helped.
“That’s borne out of, ‘You know what? I’m f***ing doing my job here’, look at the stats! No player has created more chances since he signed for Manchester United in the Premier League, by the way. Not Kevin De Bruyne, nobody. He’s created more chances than anybody since he signed. If you’re putting a human touch on that, you would be frustrated, you would be p***ed off that the club are signing players that haven’t been able to deliver.”
In the 24/25 season so far, Fernandes has featured in 38 matches across all competitions, netting 10 goals and providing 12 assists.
Manchester United will return to Premier League action on Wednesday night as they face Ipswich Town at Old Trafford.
