- Ruben Amorim delivered a withering verdict after United’s 3-1 loss to Brighton
- Rio Ferdinand believes his remarks would have negatively affected his players
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Why the Arsenal players will be laughing at Mikel Arteta behind his back
Rio Ferdinand has admitted he would have been annoyed by Ruben Amorim labelling his Manchester United side the worst in their history if he were still a player.
A furious Amorim delivered an explosive verdict on his players after they suffered a 3-1 defeat by Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday and is also understood to have smashed a TV in the dressing room before facing the press.
The head coach quickly backtracked on his comments, saying he made a mistake, and Ferdinand believes they would have negatively affected the dressing room.
Speaking ahead of United’s showdown against Rangers in the Europa League, Ferdinand said on TNT Sports: ‘I think maybe with his comments post the first comments, he realised he’d maybe turned the temperature up too high.
‘I think a comment like that can be detrimental to the environment in the dressing room, if it wasn’t said to the players before he’d gone on to the press conference, “This is the way I’m going to address the press.”
‘If he’d mentioned that, “Listen, guys, I’m going to give them a line” and the lads were all totally prepared for that, it would have been fine. But it seemed like it was one of those things off the cuff and maybe came across the wrong way.
Ruben Amorim said his Manchester United side were ‘the worst’ in the club’s history
The withering verdict came after United slumped to a dismal defeat by Brighton at Old Trafford
But Rio Ferdinand believes the comments would have negatively affected the dressing room
‘Maybe the language barrier might have been an issue.
‘If I were in the dressing room, I wouldn’t have been too pleased about it.
‘But again, if you’re one of the players who thinks you’re going to play every week, I don’t think it bothers you. The ones who are in the middle, the ones who aren’t playing, it would feel like their nose is out of joint today.’
Ferdinand also appeared to partially defend Amorim’s post-match fury after it emerged the TV in United’s home dressing room was damaged by the 39-year-old.
‘I hope he (Amorim) threw a TV off the wall, onto another wall, into the shower room and headbutted the wall as well,’ the United legend joked.
But, questioned on whether it would have extracted a positive reaction from him, Ferdinand then added: ‘Yeah, a very good one.’
United’s dismal defeat was their seventh in their first 15 games under Amorim and their fourth loss in their past five home Premier League matches.
‘In [the past] 10 games in Premier League, we won two,’ said Amorim. ‘Imagine what this is for a fan of Manchester United. Imagine what this is for me.
Amorim was quick to backtrack on his claim and admitted he had made a mistake
United have lost seven of their first 15 games under Amorim since he took charge
‘We are getting a new coach who is losing more than the last coach. I have full knowledge of that.
‘We are the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United.
‘I know you [media] want headlines but I am saying that because we have to acknowledge that and to change that. Here you go: your headlines.’
