Rio Ferdinand slams Erik ten Hag for chaotic form of football – Man United News And Transfer News

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Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has criticized Erik ten Hag for a lack of tactical organisation, alleging that the manager is bringing out the worst in some of his players.

The retired centre-back expressed his outrage after Man United drew 2-2 with Liverpool on Sunday afternoon. While a respectable result given the calibre of the opposition, this is the third match in all competitions that Ten Hag’s side has failed to win.

United’s defence appeared shaky against their bitter rivals, with Liverpool gaining a 23rd-minute lead when Luis Dias scored from a corner with an impressive scissor kick.

Lapses of concentration at the back and a lack of marking appear to be reoccurring themes for United’s defence, with the team allowing an unmarked Cole Palmer to score from a corner at the death of their previous match which ended in a painful, last-gasp 4-3 defeat to Chelsea.

Of course, United have also experienced inconsistency up front, not taking a single shot in the first half before ramping up their attack after the half-time break.

The struggling team’s inconsistency has not gone unnoticed, with club legend Rio Ferdinand making his feelings known on manager Ten Hag.

For Ferdinand, it has become increasingly difficult to determine what style of play Ten Hag has adopted at the club, if any.

“I said after the game if kamikaze, open sesame, no control of the game football is what we’re looking for, he has it nailed on and is doing a great job at it because that’s what we’re playing,” Ferdinand commented on the Vibe with Five podcast.

He added that he does not feel that United’s extensive injury concerns are a viable excuse for the chaos that has been witnessed on the pitch, explaining that other teams hit with a similar amount of injuries still play with a distinct style of football.

The 2007/08 UEFA Champions League winner also expressed his view that Ten Hag’s “kamikaze” football has brought out the worst in players such as Casemiro.

“Open transition football with big spaces around him, in that midfield at times another midfielder is 20 yards away. That never happened at Real Madrid so you don’t see his worst traits which is his mobility, same with Kobbie Mainoo, so you do things with a structure so you don’t see that,” Ferdinand explained.

While Casemiro has struggled to replicate his scintillating form from last season, Ferdinand makes a valid point, given Casemiro’s history as a holding midfielder who seldom operates in an advanced position upfield.

Despite still being in the running for the FA Cup title, United’s season continues to appear bleaker as their chances of securing a top-four spot are withering away. In fact, with the likes of West Ham United and Newcastle United breathing down their necks, one wonders whether Ten Hag’s team will be playing European football at all next season.

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