Rio Ferdinand admitted former Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick was right that the club needed open-heart surgery as the Red Devils' struggles continue.
United were beaten 2-0 by Newcastle United on Monday, meaning they will end 2024 in 14th place, their lowest position at the turn of the year in the league since 1989.
Monday's defeat meant the Red Devils lost three consecutive home league games for the first time since 1979, leaving them just seven points clear of the bottom three.
Ruben Amorim has also had a difficult start to his United spell, having suffered five defeats in his first eight league games in charge, which is the worst record for a United manager in 103 years.
As Ferdinand dissected the remaining problems at United, his thoughts turned back to the period of Rangnick, who was interim manager for 29 games in 2021/2022.
The German coach suggested the club needed a major change of direction, both on and off the pitch, with Ferdinand agreeing with Rangnick's comments two years later.
Speaking at Rio Ferdinand Presents, he said: “Ralf Rangnick said this needs open heart surgery, not a quick fix. He wasn't wrong!
'How true are those words now? He was vilified and ridiculed when he said those words. He was so right.
“And I think Amorim would sit there behind closed doors and think the same thing.”
Ferdinand also urged Amorim to make United's stars “uncomfortable” and stick to his tactical approach despite their difficult form heading into the new year.
Since Amorim's first game in charge, only Southampton (seven) have lost more games in all competitions between Premier League clubs than the Red Devils (six).
They have also scored the most goals (21, level with Tottenham), but Ferdinand has insisted Amorim must stick to their guns if they are to get them out of their current rut.
“You look at him and say, 'He still seems pretty confident [in the] long term. He's not going to change his short-term ideas.” “And I completely agree,” Ferdinand added.
“If he changes and goes back to what they were doing before… it's not like they were winning! So why would he go back to what the players are more comfortable with?
“I think his whole mindset – and I agree with him – is that if this team was trained and understood the system, I think they have a chance to execute what he wants.
“I don't think we can expect Amorim to go back to type, to what they played before, to try to steady the ship. Because it wasn't a stable ship anyway.
“I really believe he should keep doing what he's doing. He said there will be teething problems – maybe not as many as what we're getting now – but I don't think he understood what he was getting into.
“The scars that many players have as individuals – and as a team – are so big and so deep that it will take a long time to come back.”
14 – In the history of the Premier League, four teams that were fourteenth at the turn of the year have subsequently been relegated (Newcastle in 2008-09, Burnley in 2009-10, Norwich in 2013-14 and Leeds in 2022-2023). Warning. pic.twitter.com/gwNqMLldR4
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 30, 2024
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