Rio Ferdinand says Manchester United ‘back into crisis mode’ after Copenhagen defeat - 'Not enough characters'

Rio Ferdinand says Manchester United are “back into crisis mode” following their damaging 4-3 defeat away to Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League.

Following a late 1-0 victory over Fulham at the weekend, United appeared set to build momentum when Rasmus Hojlund struck twice in the first half an hour to open up a two-goal cushion in the Danish capital.

However, the match quickly unravelled for Erik ten Hag’s side when Marcus Rashford was sent off in the 42nd minute.

Two late goals before the break drew the Danish side level, and although the hosts fell behind again to a Bruno Fernandes penalty in the second half, they struck twice in five minutes at the death to snatch all three points and leave United rooted to the bottom of Group A.

“Back again into crisis mode, I think that’s the way it is,” Ferdinand said on TNT Sports. “It’s a rollercoaster at Man United now. There’s no consistency.

“We were watching that game and I was screaming, 2-0 up, Rasmus Hojlund, I’m thinking, ‘Wow, we’ve found a hero’, and then all of a sudden the wheels just fall off.

“They capitulate and that just signals to me a lack of character at the moment, there’s not enough characters in there to pull a team through.

“When they’re in a situation where there’s a bit of adversity or they’re under duress, they haven’t got enough leaders and characters in those moments to pull them through in those moments and that’s what you need.

“It doesn’t come down to ability in those situations. Away, Copenhagen, I’ve been there, we got beat 1-0 when I was there, but this is far too often we’re seeing this happen.”

Ten Hag was critical of the refereeing decisions in the aftermath as VAR and its use once again came in for criticism, but Ferdinand said the team need to show more character to be able to navigate tough situations when they arise in games.

Defeat in Copenhagen is the third in four games in the Champions League and leaves United staring down the barrel at a group stage exit.

The situation domestically is hardly any better, with the club sitting eighth after making their worst Premier League start since the early 1960s.

Asked how his former side can arrest the current situation, Ferdinand admitted the players need to dig deep but that the ultimate responsibility lies with Ten Hag.

“It’s the job of the players, they have to find themselves, look deep within themselves to get that [character] to come out,” he added.

“Leaders encourage and cajole and bring the best out in team-mates, we need to see that.

“But again, it all stems from the manager. The manager is the guy that leads and steers the ship and it all comes from him.

“The buck does stop with him at the end of the day. The players have to take responsibility but the manager will have to too."

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media