‘We choke, it’s as simple as that’: Rio Ferdinand takes Manchester United out of the title race after the ‘criminal’ defense caused a final draw against Everton
- Rio Ferdinand says United are out of the title race after “choking” on Everton
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored a 95th-minute equalizer with Everton on Saturday
- Ferdinand believes that Man United is guilty of “stumbling all the time”
- He says Man United needs to ‘change their habits and lack of consistency’
Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United are out of the title race after “choking” on Everton on Saturday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team lost the opportunity to draw with Manchester City – who still have a game to spare – after Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the equalizer in the 95th minute for the Toffees.
Ferdinand was disappointed with United’s performance and said they are guilty of “stumbling all the time”.
Rio Ferdinand says Manchester United are out of the title race after “choking” against Everton
United’s 3-3 draw with Everton caused Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men to drop five points behind Manchester City.
It also marks another game in which United failed to come out with three points.
United’s title hopes are starting to decline as they have won just two of their last six league games – with the biggest surprise coming against last-placed Sheffield United.
Speaking of United’s fall from grace, Ferdinand told FIVE: ‘You can’t defend him. At the end of the day, Man United was at the top of the league.
Manchester United drew 3-3 with Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton team on Saturday (above)
Dominic Calvert-Lewin took Lucas Digne’s free-kick to tie for Everton in the end
‘We have not entered this season with the expectation of being challengers for the title. We were way behind Liverpool (last season). You cannot expect such a big turn to win the championship, it is impossible.
‘But I’m just like all the other fans. You see the leaderboard, see the results, get excited. When you put yourself in that position, Man United has to attack. You are there now and there is an opportunity.
‘When there is an opportunity, you have to go. The problem is that we let this opportunity slip by our hands. You can see Man City with his experience, they smelled blood, they bowed their heads, they were gone.
‘But United stuttered, we started the choke, we didn’t make it work properly. We choke, it’s that simple. I would put us out of the title challenge, unless we ran and changed our habits and our lack of consistency.
The draw puts Man United five points behind Manchester City – who have one game less
Ferdinand criticized Harry Maguire (left) for not leading the United team from behind
‘But I haven’t seen enough to suggest that we can go on a streak of ten, 15 consecutive wins. We are stumbling all the time. There are first four, we will finish second or third. ‘
Ferdinand also criticized United’s defensive structure for Everton’s draw, adding: ‘I see Harry Maguire, you have to lead this team from the rear and make sure (mistakes) don’t happen.
‘I was furious before the free kick. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has to understand his game management at this point in the game.
‘Passing the ball inside like this, to be cut, is criminal. I would go crazy in that locker room, screaming.
