Rio Ferdinand knows first-hand the weight of expectation that comes with donning the iconic red colors of Manchester United.
Formerly the world’s most expensive defender, the former England international lifted six Premier League titles, the Champions League and two League Cups during an illustrious 12-year spell at Old Trafford.
Those were the days when United dominance was par for the course; the reality now, though, couldn’t be any more different.
The Red Devils currently languish in the bottom half of the league table with few immediate signs of improvement since the appointment of Rúben Amorim a mere six weeks ago.
Ferdinand, though, is calling for calm heads and a patient, holistic approach amidst the chaos.
“It’s weird to say this of Manchester United, but I just don’t think we can put targets on things. We’re not in a position to do that.
“We have a lot of rebuilding of players individually, of a team, but also of a culture and environment.
“That’s going to take time, so to put a target above that in terms of position and winning things … takes away from all of those four things that need building.”
A ‘different beast’
The team in charge of spearheading this renewal project is the combined force of the aforementioned Amorim and the soccer operations arm of the club, INEOS.
Both have staked their reputations to help reverse the United’s stark decline in fortunes in the post-Alex Ferguson era.
For Amorim, who arrived in England as one of the most coveted managers on the European continent, the question is whether he can make the step up in quality, stakes and profile.
For INEOS, they will be judged by the decisions taken on the pitch and in the boardroom – decisions that, so far, have proven to be divisive among the fan base and pundits alike.
United’s new CEO Omar Berrada has already laid out a three-year plan that, in his eyes, would culminate in the Red Devils lifting the Premier League trophy again in 2028 to coincide with the club’s 150th anniversary.
That dream currently looks to be further away than ever.
“We need to give INEOS the chance to prove that they are capable of dragging the club from where we are,” Ferdinand explains. “They’re now making decisions and their decisions are going to be judged.
“What he’s (Amorim) done with Sporting… (He) changed the narrative of that football club for a few years. But also his charisma and his ability to communicate has been very impressive and it was before he came.
“It’s alright doing that at Sporting. It’s a very different beast at Manchester United.
“In 2025, I hope Manchester United become a positive football club with positive energy around them, and the narrative isn’t always dejected disappointment.”
Contrasting fortunes
One club that United could take an example from at this moment is historic arch-rival Liverpool.
Questions were raised as to whether Jürgen Klopp’s successor, Arne Slot, could follow in the footsteps of one of the most successful managers in the club’s era.
Those doubts, though, have been silenced in spectacular fashion so far this season with the Dutchman leading the Merseyside outfit to both the top of the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League tables, winning all six games in the latter.
So how does Ferdinand view the clubs’ contrasting approaches to succession planning?
“It’s a lot of confusion and noise over (Manchester United) compared to a very seamless, quiet kind of approach (at Liverpool),” he says.
“(It) shows you the importance of the infrastructure behind the scenes, but also don’t forget that (the Liverpool) squad was a much more stable squad as well.
“A team of people who have won at that club, (that) have been there for a long time. They had the components in there that were working but just wasn’t maybe working the right way and needed fine tuning.
“I always look at it as (Manchester) City winning – ‘That’s a nightmare’ – or Liverpool going to be winning this year, ‘It’s a nightmare.’ … I can suffer that over there a little bit if we’re starting to move and go in the right direction.”
With Manchester United not even in the discussion for title contention and local rival City enduring its worst ever spell under Pep Guardiola, current logic and form would dictate the title could be Liverpool’s to lose this season.
“I don’t think City can turn it around to win the league this year,” says the former defender.
“I thought City would win it again (and) Arsenal would run them close, but I think Liverpool have come out of the traps fast. They’ve got a consistency that no one seems to be matching at the moment, so they’re a team to beat.”
Big calls at United
Continuity within Liverpool’s playing squad is in stark contrast to United’s approach, with Amorim not being afraid to wield the axe – chief amongst those impacted is homegrown player Marcus Rashford.
Since being frozen out of the first-team squad, the England international has recently hinted that his days in Manchester may be numbered.
Ferdinand, though, isn’t sure it’s the right decision.
“Only time will tell with that,” he says. “He’s probably over-scrutinized, unfortunately for him, but that comes with the territory of Manchester United and being one of the bigger players there.
“If you’ve got an image that’s up here then you’re going to bring more pressure. I hope that he as a person, more importantly, doesn’t come out of this too damaged because I think it’s been a lot to take on his shoulders as a player.
“If there’s a glimmer of hope with this manager, then I think he’ll give Marcus the opportunity. But every manager has big calls – it’s just they’re bigger at Manchester United.”
‘It’s wild’
Big calls and big personalities are the nature of the beast at United.
Ferdinand has been privy to witnessing and playing with some of the greats of the game during his trophy laden career; perhaps none more so than Cristiano Ronaldo.
The two lined up alongside each other at United on 221 different occasions between 2004 and 2009. That era would propel the Portuguese wonderkid to global stardom.
A fabulous tally of 118 goals sealed a move to Real Madrid where he would continue his ascent to the pantheon of all-time greats by netting 450 goals.
When Ferdinand announced his retirement from the game in May 2015, Ronaldo was still racking up his goal tally, adding 101 at Juventus and a further 27 during his second spell at United.
Now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia, the goalscoring machine is yet to stop, even as he approaches his 40th birthday in February.
“It’s crazy. It’s wild (what he does),” Ferdinand says of his former teammate. “He’s a great example to all these young players of what it takes: the discipline, the commitment, the sacrifice it takes to get to the top, but more importantly, stay there.”
And it’s not just domestically where Ronaldo reigns supreme.
With 135 goals in 217 matches and counting, the leading goalscorer in men’s international soccer shows little signs of slowing down.
With European qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to begin in March, Ferdinand would relish the opportunity to see one of the sport’s all-time greats once again appear on the biggest global stage.
“For what it would mean and the narrative, I think, yes,” says the former England captain.
“Him and (Lionel) Messi are the two main genuine superstars still playing.
“I think it would be very difficult to get two like that, especially in the same era, to do what they’ve done for so long at that level. Vinícius (Jr.), Kylian (Mbappé), Jude (Bellingham), Lamine (Yamal) now, (Erling) Haaland they are the next ones … I think (Jamal) Musiala’s got a chance of being (a part of) that.”