October 7th 2024.
Rio Ferdinand had a chat with his former teammate and Manchester United legend, Wayne Rooney, about some concerning behavior within the team. Ferdinand, who was part of the last United team to win the Premier League in Sir Alex Ferguson's final season, was worried about the team's performance and the players' actions off the pitch.
Despite his own successful career at United, winning six Premier League titles and lifting the Champions League trophy in 2008, Ferdinand was concerned about the team's recent decline. Under a succession of high-profile managers, the Red Devils have failed to add to their haul of Premier League trophies and have struggled to maintain their dominance in the league.
While Ferdinand left United in 2014, Rooney stayed at the club for another three seasons before eventually leaving in 2017. Before his departure, Ferdinand reached out to Rooney to discuss his thoughts on the team's perceived drop in standards, especially after seeing videos of players like Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard dancing on social media despite the club's struggles.
Ferdinand recently had a conversation with his former United teammate, Phil Jones, on his YouTube channel, where he revealed that he had called Rooney to question some of the players' social media activity. Jones, who has now begun coaching at United, reflected on the state of the dressing room when he first joined the club, highlighting the strong and powerful leaders who wouldn't let anything affect the team's performance and winning mentality.
Jones also mentioned that players nowadays may not have the same ability to call out their teammates and hold them accountable for their actions, which is a stark contrast to how things were during his time at United. The team would have meetings immediately after a loss, with the leaders reminding everyone that their behavior and actions were not acceptable for a club like United.
Ferdinand then pointed out that things started to change when he saw Pogba and Lingard dancing on social media while the team was struggling in the league. He immediately called Rooney and expressed his concerns, but the former United captain told him that things are different now and he couldn't do anything about it, as there was a big group of players who would disagree with him.
Jones chimed in, saying that if such behavior happened in their dressing room, the player responsible would have been "torched" by their teammates. It was clear that the team's standards and values had shifted, and Ferdinand and Jones couldn't help but feel disappointed.
United's struggles continue under their current manager, Erik ten Hag, who has failed to turn things around for the team. The team has had their worst ever start to a Premier League campaign, and after their goalless draw with Aston Villa, ten Hag claimed that there were signs of progress, specifically with the team's organization, togetherness, and resilience.
However, Ferdinand and Jones were not convinced, and they discussed how the team's performance has been inconsistent, and they have yet to reach their full potential. Ten Hag mentioned that players like Marcus Rashford and new signing Anthony have been stepping up, but there is still room for improvement.
Despite the struggles and changes within the team, Ferdinand and Jones remain hopeful that United will one day return to their former glory. As fans and former players, they will continue to support the team and hope for a better future.
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