United have SUPERMAN in goal... If he wasn’t there I don’t know what would have happened with that inconsistent defence over the last three or four years
RIO HAILS DE GEA BUT SAYS BACKLINE WILL SCUPPER EURO HOPES
NOT even Superman can save Manchester United’s defence in the Champions League.
That’s the view of Rio Ferdinand, who believes the superheroic performances of keeper David De Gea will not be enough to paper over the cracks in the Red Devils’ backline.
De Gea underscored his importance to United yet again on Saturday with a string of vital saves – one in second-half added-time – to clinch three crucial points at Watford.
The performance sparked another avalanche of praise and had his opposite number, Ben Foster, describing the Spain No.1 as the Lionel Messi of goalkeeping.
Ferdinand, who lifted the Champions League trophy in 2008, would go even further. The BT Sport pundit fears his old side are not good enough to win it this season. But he said: “They’ve got a Superman in goal.
“If he’s not in that goal, I don’t know what would have happened over the last three or four years.”
De Gea has clinched the Player of the Season award in four of the last five campaigns at United – a telling statistic. Last season he carried all before him with breathtaking displays at Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Manchester City in particular.
Unsurprisingly, he proved the toughest keeper to beat in the Premier League last season with 18 clean sheets. And the club’s best bit of business during the summer has been – yet again – keeping their Spanish colossus from the clutches of Real Madrid.
“He’s superhuman,” said Ferdinand. “But with the guys in front of him, there are inconsistencies in terms of personnel every week. You can’t build a defence on people that aren’t going to be reliable.
“Then, when people are in there, they haven’t performed. They are the cold, hard facts.”
United chief executive Ed Woodward refused to sanction a big-money Jose Mourinho swoop for an experienced leader at the back during the summer.
It meant potential moves for the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Harry Maguire failed to get off the ground, while Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng and Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin chose to stay at their respective clubs.
United travel to Young Boys for their Champions League opener tomorrow, having conceded in all but one of their five games so far this season.
Ferdinand, who left the club at the end of the 2013-14 season, believes the lack of summer surgery means his former side cannot be considered contenders for this season’s trophy.
He said: “You’ve got two wingers that are playing full-back (Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia) – they played left and right midfield when I was there. They’ve done well, been the better defenders.
“But has Victor Lindelof worked? No. Has Eric Bailly worked? No. Chris Smalling and Phil Jones haven’t kicked on like the potential they showed when they first came through the door. So that ain’t going to change, is it?
“You’re not sitting here saying the world is going to be changed because it’s a new year and you’re asking for them to get better, to mix together and mould together as a unit. That’s not going to happen.”
United’s fragile confidence should get a much-needed boost tomorrow night, despite Young Boys winning eight of their 10 matches so far this season. In fact, Ferdinand (left) expects his former club to progress from Group H, even though a reunion with superstar Cristiano Ronaldo – now at Juventus – should prove his point about Mourinho’s defence.
Ferdinand, who lifted the 2008 Champions League trophy for United alongside Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra and Wes Brown, fears the outlook for the current crop is bleak.
He added: “The foundations of every big team that wins things is the defence.
“The United defence is not strong enough and they have not reinforced, so I don’t see them doing well.
“They will get out of the group but not much further.”