“We drowned, it’s as simple as that”: Rio Ferdinand excludes Manchester United from the title race after the “criminal” defense caused the equal of the last gasp against Everton
- Rio Ferdinand says United have left the title race after “drowning” against Everton
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalized on Saturday in the 95th minute for Everton
- Ferdinand believes Man United is guilty of “stumbling all the time”
- He says Man United must “change their habits and lack of consistency”
Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United have left the title race after “suffocating” against Everton on Saturday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side missed the chance to equalize with Manchester City – who still have a game in hand – after Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalized in the 95th minute for Toffees.
Ferdinand was disappointed with United’s performance and said they were guilty of “stumbling all the time”.
Rio Ferdinand says Manchester United have left the title race after “suffocating” against Everton
United’s 3-3 draw with Everton saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men five points behind Manchester City.
It also marks another game in which United failed to go with three points.
Hopes for United’s title are beginning to wane as they have won just two of their last six league games – the biggest upset coming at the bottom of Sheffield United.
Speaking about United’s fall from grace, Ferdinand told FIVE: “You can’t defend her. At the end of the day, Man United was pretty good in the top of the league.
Manchester United drew 3-3 with Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton on Saturday (above)
Dominic Calvert-Lewin enters from a free kick by Lucas Digne to equalize for Everton late
“We did not come this season expecting to be competitors for the title. I was too far from Liverpool (last season). You can’t expect to have such a big change to win the league, it’s impossible.
‘But I’m like all the other fans. You see the league table, you look at the results, you get excited. When you put yourself in this position, Man United must strike. You are there now and there is an opportunity.
“When you have the opportunity to go. The problem is that we let this opportunity slip through our hands. You can see Man City with their experience, they smelled blood, they put their heads down, they left.
“But United stuttered, we have the shock in motion, we failed to function properly. We suffocated, it’s simple. We would get out of the title challenge if we didn’t run away and change our habits and lack of coherence.
The tie puts Man United five points behind Manchester City – who have a game in hand
Ferdinand criticized Harry Maguire (left) for not leading the United team from behind
“But we haven’t seen enough to suggest that we can go on a winning streak of ten, 15 games. We stumble all the time. They are the first four, we will finish in second place or in third place.
Ferdinand also criticized United’s defensive structure for Everton’s equalizer, adding: “I see Harry Maguire, you have to lead that team from behind and make sure that (mistakes) don’t happen.
– I smoked before the free kick. Aaron Wan-Bissaka must understand the management of the game at this point in the game.
“Passing the ball inside, so weak, which must be cut, is criminal. I’d be crazy in that locker room, screaming.
