Rio slams United ahead of Albion

Rio Ferdinand believes a fear of failure and consequences needs instilling in the Manchester United dressing room if things are to turn around underincomingmanagerErikten Hag.

Having finished runnersupinlastyear’sPremierLeague and Europa League, the summer signings of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho only fuelled optimism around Old Trafford.

But hope only made for an ever harder fall for the 20-time league champions, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer departing in November and interim successor Ralf Rangnick failing to get a consistent tune.

United are set to miss out on Champions League qualification and fan anger at the owners continues to provide a backdrop.

Speaking ahead of United clash with Brighton at the Amex Stadium this Saturday, Ferdinand said: “When I look from the outside, I don’t feel that there’s a fear factor,” the former United defender said.

“When you look at great teams, you didn’t want to ever disappoint your manager or your team-mates.

“By that I mean from basic things to making sure that I’m in at the right times, making sure that my application on a day-to-day basis is at that level. The culture, the standards are here every day.

“Going out onto the pitch, if anybody could ever say to me that I hadn’t put the work in for90minutesthatwouldhave been terrifying for me.

“To think that my teammates would read that or think that, or my coaching staff would think or feel that.

“Idon’tthinkthosefearfactors are as prominent and as strong as they should be right now, and I think that’s where the manager comes in. He has to create that.

“If for you look at the two best teams in the country, if not Europe, right now in Liverpool and Man City, please do not tell me that any of those players could walk off that pitch and have it that anybody could point a finger at them – that actually you might not be working hard enough or your desiredoesn’tlookthesameor your application doesn’t look the same.

“Because they know that firstandforemostthatmanager will have them by the scruff of the neck or they’ll be just out oftheteamcompletely.There’s consequences.

“That’s the big thing at Man United. It doesn’t seem that there’s consequences in place for players.”