Manchester United supporters are hoping to see real progress from their side this season. The 2025/26 campaign began with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, though many felt Ruben Amorim’s side played well enough to come away with something.
After a 15th-place finish last term and no European football on the calendar, pressure will quickly build if results don’t improve following the summer additions.
Despite the result, there were positives to take from Sunday’s performance. Without Altay Bayindir’s early mistake, it could have been a different story.
READ MORE: Man Utd ace viewed by Ruben Amorim as future ‘best in world’ shines in Premier League stat
Next up is a trip to Fulham, where fans will be expecting United to secure their first win of the new season.
Rio Ferdinand calls for Manchester United to step up
There was no shortage of criticism aimed at United last season, with plenty of former players taking aim at the squad for falling short of expectations.
Ferdinand has been one of the more vocal critics, both through his podcast and during his time as a TNT Sport pundit. Since relocating to Dubai, though, he’s been less involved in covering United matches.
The only way United can bounce back is by winning football matches, especially after losing the first game of the season.
Speaking to Andy Mitten for The National, Ferdinand predicted that a top-eight finish would represent meaningful progress for Amorim’s side.
He also pointed out that Amorim needs time to put his ideas into place.
“If Man United could finish in the top eight, that’s a good improvement,” Ferdinand said. “That and some consistent football. I’m happy with the recruitment of the players with Premier League experience, which is great, a must. I still would want one or two more.
“You must see now an improvement in results, but you must see a style of football where it looks like these players are playing almost blind. The ball’s going, you can see the patterns of play repeating themselves on a regular basis because that’s when you’re knowing that the training is transferring to the match.”
“People think ours was all off the cuff. There were so many things transferred from the training field that we’d done. Third men running, rotations. These are all things that we were doing with your eyes closed, but this manager hasn’t had the time yet. And that’s why he didn’t want to come at the time that he came because pre-season is so important. I don’t think fans realise how important pre-season is.”
Ferdinand addresses criticism from pundits
It’s not uncommon for players and their representatives to react strongly to what pundits say about them, especially when the comments are negative.
Speaking to Andy Mitten for The National, Ferdinand was asked if his reputation as a player and now as a media figure has added extra pressure on the current squad.
“It’s probably a bit of a noose around the neck of the current squad the last few years,” he said.
“I always would say that if someone had a problem with me and I sat with them and explained what I was saying, they would realise that I’m not a personally vindictive person. If you’d played bad, if we had a sit-down and a conversation over a cup of tea, and I said what I said on TV, I think you’d shake my hand on the way out. I’m highlighting the mistake that you’ve made and how you can make it better, and I’m not sitting here saying I was perfect, but in my job, in my role, I’ve got to say what I see – but without being personal, and that’s the line.”
He went on: “I try and be constructive in the way that I talk. And then you get some players… it’s not necessarily them; it’s their circle that sends them stuff. And then if the context is wrong… it warps reality.
“And that’s why I went on social media at the beginning because it was almost like this is my chance to say what I mean.”
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