Rio Ferdinand aims 'embarrassed' dig at Man Utd flops in verdict on growing crisis - The Mirror

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has plenty of sympathy for struggling stars unable to cope with expectations but admits recent results would have left him too embarrassed to leave home

Rio Ferdinand has claimed that he would be embarrassed to be a Manchester United player at the moment but can recognise that the pressure of playing for the club has become a burden

And that leaves former centre back Ferdinand feeling a degree of sympathy for Ruben Amorim’s strugglers. United suffered another chastening defeat away to Newcastle on Sunday and the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Lyon this Thursday is evenly poised.

Ferdinand, speaking on his own podcast, said that he can sense the pressure and expectations are weighing heavily on many players, while a conversation with Mason Mount ’s father made it clear that even the former Chelsea star has realised how big a deal it is to play for United.

“You find out a lot about players when the pressure is on,” Ferdinand said on his podcast Rio Presents. “And the pressure is like no other club in the Premier League at Man United.

“People won't like to hear that, but it's a fact. There's a big responsibility on your shoulders given the history, the history is big, and some of these players don't look like they're ready to shoulder that and carry that.

“It's become a burden for those players, rather than a privilege. They've got to get away from that. That's got to be their focus, their fire, because of the circumstances at the club.'

“I feel for them, I do feel sorry for them. 'I was very lucky, I came into a great culture, a winning mentality, a winning club.

“I ran into Mason Mount's dad, and said, 'it's a big club isn't it?' I know, (he) grew up with Chelsea - and he went, you know you see someone, and he went, ‘Yeah, wow, it's a massive club.'

“It's hard to put it into words how big and heavy and how much responsibility goes into playing for this club. And that's not an excuse for these players, you just know what it's like.”

And when the conversation touched on the particular struggles of forwards Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund, Ferdinand added of recent performances: “I wouldn't be able to show my face. I wouldn't be able to come out of the house. The way I used to feel about just losing or drawing a game, I would be really embarrassed.

“I'd be working hard and I know they are. I speak to guys at the club, they're working really hard but at the moment that ain't enough and I don't know what they have to do.”

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