Ferdinand: 'Opponents cut through Man Utd like a knife cutting butter'

Former defender Rio Ferdinand criticized the quality of Manchester United's defense in their 2-3 defeat to Galatasaray in the second matchday of Group C of the Champions League.

"The opposition cut through Man Utd like a knife through butter," Ferdinand said about Galatasaray scoring three goals at Old Trafford on October 3rd. "It's a shame. Man Utd have many experienced players, but they don't know how to organize their defense."

Ferdinand also suggested that if Manchester United had a true defensive leader, they might not have conceded two of the three goals. He implicitly criticized the two full-time center-backs, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof. "I'm not talking about young players, but about experienced players who know how to move and have won many titles," Ferdinand said. "The team needs someone to organize the defense, whether it's a goalkeeper or a center-back."

Icardi (left) celebrates the winning goal in Galatasaray's 3-2 away match against Man Utd on October 3rd. Photo: AFP

In the match on the evening of October 3rd, Man Utd started well and opened the scoring in the 17th minute thanks to a header from new signing Rasmus Hojlund. However, Galatasaray only needed six minutes to equalize. After a lofted pass into the Man Utd penalty area, Wilfried Zaha's shot deflected off Dalot's foot, changing direction and flying over goalkeeper Andre Onana.

The two teams continued to chase each other in the second half. After Hojlund broke through and scored to make it 2-1 in the 67th minute, Galatasaray only needed four minutes to equalize. The Man Utd defense completely neglected Akturkoglu, allowing the opposing player to burst into the penalty area and fire a diagonal shot into Onana's net.

Towards the end of the match, Man Utd collapsed due to individual errors. Following a misplaced pass by Onana in the 77th minute, Casemiro committed a foul in the penalty area and received a red card. Mauro Icardi missed the penalty, but Galatasaray still had plenty of time to capitalize on their numerical advantage. In the 81st minute, after Sofyan Amrabat's offside trap error, Icardi chipped the ball over Onana's head, securing a 3-2 victory.

According to Ferdinand, the Manchester United players need to remember they are playing at the highest level. Therefore, he advised them to avoid making the same mistakes they make in other leagues.

Ferdinand was also pleased that Hojlund, the striker recently bought by Man Utd from Atalanta, scored a brace. However, after the Turkish team came from behind to win, he couldn't contain his excitement. "Tonight, I felt like I was on a rollercoaster," Ferdinand added. "At times, I felt something positive and potential at Man Utd, but then I realized the team was completely disorganized."

Manchester United lost to Galatasaray while without Lisandro Martinez. The Argentinian center-back is sidelined until the end of 2023 due to a recurring injury. Left-backs Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, and Sergio Reguilon are also out due to injury, while manager Erik Ten Hag has little faith in Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans.

This was Manchester United's sixth defeat in ten matches across all competitions since the start of the 2023-2024 season. Prior to this, Ten Hag's team lost to Tottenham, Arsenal, Brighton, and Crystal Palace in the Premier League, and to Bayern Munich in the opening match of the Champions League group stage.

Manchester United are currently bottom of Group A in the Champions League, with zero points after two matches. Bayern Munich lead with two wins out of two games, while Galatasaray are second with four points and Copenhagen are third with one point. If they fail to beat Copenhagen in their next two matches, Manchester United are highly likely to be eliminated from the competition in the group stage.

Midfielder Christian Eriksen said the whole team was very disappointed after the Galatasaray game, and they barely spoke to each other in the dressing room. He suggested that Man Utd's problem wasn't a lack of confidence, but rather a lack of sharpness, luck, and avoiding mistakes. "It's only the beginning," Eriksen added. "We need to win the remaining games to qualify for the next round."

Thanh Quy (according to BT Sport )

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