Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has boldly claimed that one legendary manager could have “struggled” to immediately replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.
Ferguson stepped down as United manager in 2013 after leading the Red Devils to the Premier League title, with David Moyes appointed as his successor.
Moyes won the Community Shield with United in 2013, but the West Ham boss endured an ill-fated spell at Old Trafford after replacing Ferguson.
Despite the endorsement from Ferguson to be his successor at United, Moyes was axed from the Premier League club only 10 months after his appointment.
United have had five permanent managers, including Erik ten Hag, since Ferguson’s retirement and the Red Devils have struggled to return to the top of English football.
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Ferdinand on United and Ferguson
Ferdinand was brought to Old Trafford in 2002 after Ferguson signed him from Leeds United, with the United legend enjoying a prolific career at the club.
The 45-year-old TNT Sports pundit played on at United after Ferguson’s retirement and witnessed first-hand Moyes’ struggles at Old Trafford.
Ferdinand struggled to keep down a regular place under Moyes, with the footballer-turned-pundit reduced to 23 appearances in his final season at Old Trafford.
The former Red Devils centre-back claimed that former ex-United manager Jose Mourinho “may have struggled coming in” straight after Ferguson.
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Ferdinand said: “But I do actually still feel sorry for David Moyes because of the shoes he had to fill, coming to Man United from Everton is a completely different ball game.
“Even Mourinho may have struggled coming in after Sir Alex, so to think it was an easy run for Moyes was crazy.”
Ferdinand on Moyes’ United struggles
Mourinho eventually arrived at United in 2016 after Louis van Gaal was sacked and the 60-year-old enjoyed success during his first season at Old Trafford.
The ‘Special One’ led United to the League Cup and Europa League in his debut season before finishing second in the Premier League in the following season.
But Mourinho, much like Moyes and Van Gaal before him, was sacked from United in 2018 and later replaced by club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Ferdinand recalled his experience under Moyes and what he felt was the “biggest thing” that the former United boss did wrong during his time at Old Trafford.
“As a professional, I wanted him [Moyes] to do well and you’re giving them that time and the chance, definitely,” he said.
“But there’s a few things you see that aren’t the same. I think the biggest thing for me was that there was always too much focus on our opponents in training.
“We’re Man United, they’re meant to worry about us more.
“What that does to our mindset is there’s an element of fear here and that filters through to the team and to the young players.
“All we’re doing is talking about what are they going to do, but it should be about what are we going to do.
“That element there, I thought there needed to be a bigger shift from thinking like an Everton manager to thinking like a Man United manager. It needed to be how champions think.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/HxoYgQ0