Rio Ferdinand has warned Leny Yoro that he is ‘picking too many fights’ against ‘stronger players’ as he urged the Man United defender to be smarter on the pitch.
Yoro, 20, moved to Old Trafford from LOSC Lille in a deal worth around £52million in July 2024, but struggled to nail down a consistent spot in the starting XI under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.
The Frenchman’s responsibilities have grown of late, though, with Yoro featuring in five of the last eight matches – four of which have been in the most recent games – since Michael Carrick’s arrival as interim boss.
But Ferdinand, who featured at the heart of United’s defence on more than 450 occasions between 2002 and 2014, believes Yoro is not yet on the same physical level to the forwards he is battling in the Premier League.
‘Leny Yoro right now is trying to fight too many fights in a game when physically he’s not starting at the same place,’ the former England defender said on his Rio Ferdinand Presents show.
‘They’re all much more physically developed. Most of the players he’s playing against and, number nines especially, are stronger than him. So, then you’ve got to pick your battles. Pick your duel.
Rio Ferdinand says Leny Yoro that he is ‘picking too many fights’ against ‘stronger players’
Yoro has returned to the Man United starting XI under interim boss Michael Carrick recently
‘If you’ve got a 60-40 in your favour, then you go all in. When you’re in a 50-50 or 40-60 (in the attacker’s favour), if you’re not physically dominant – like Leny Yoro right now – you pick your punches.
‘If (the striker) goes back where the ball came from and lays it off or goes to spin and you’ve got a yard on him, you’ve done your job. But these are just coaching points.’
Ferdinand added that he thinks Jonny Evans and Jonathan Woodgate, who make up part of Carrick’s backroom staff, will be working on such areas to help the youngster improve.
Yoro, meanwhile, has previously been outspoken about his positive relationship with Ferdinand behind closed doors.
‘I speak a lot with the coach and I’ve spoken to Rio and not always in front of the cameras,’ he said last May.
‘Sometimes they just give me advice. When a player like Rio can give you advice you need to take it. I try to do my best and what they tell me to do.’
On comparisons to Ferdinand at the time, Yoro said: ‘I come to Man United to achieve big things, to win trophies, so when you see players like Rio Ferdinand, (Nemanja) Vidic, and (Raphael) Varane, you want to achieve the same things as them, stay in the memory of fans and be a big defender.
‘When they compare me to them it’s a real honour, I’m proud of this. I’m trying to be the best I can.’
Ferdinand made more than 450 appearances as a United defender between 2002 and 2014
Yoro has featured more recently in the absence of Lisandro Martinez, who has been recovering from a calf injury suffered in late February.
And, while Carrick is optimistic that the Argentine will be available again in the coming weeks, he has been full of praise for Yoro’s ability to deputise while Martinez has a spell on the sidelines.
Speaking after United’s 1-1 draw away to West Ham last month, the interim United boss said: ‘Credit to Leny. His two bits of defending one-vs-one and defending the counter attack, which he knew he was going to have to do at times… he deserves a lot of credit for that.’
