Rio Ferdinand names one player who will challenge underperforming Manchester United stars amid awful run

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has told talkSPORT who is sorting out the underperformers in the Old Trafford dressing room.

United have had a disastrous campaign and could finish in their lowest-ever position in the Premier League, currently sitting eighth with two games to go.

A 1-0 defeat to Arsenal came days after an embarrassing 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Crystal Palace and fans are furious with the lack of effort.

That includes former Red Devils star Ferdinand, who made 455 appearances for the club and won six Premier League titles.

Speaking to Graeme Souness on The White & Jordan Show on talkSPORT, Ferdinand revealed how Bruno Fernandes would not be afraid to speak his mind in the dressing room.

“I know that Bruno [Fernandes] points out things and pulls young players in et cetera,” the United legend said live on air.

“Whether you think he does it in the right way when he is on the pitch and might be too animated for some people.

“But I look at the last two games that Manchester United have played and they haven’t been good enough, he is a big miss to that team.

“He creates chances and makes other players look good. But he would be the one that would be pulling people and talking to people.”

Fernandes has missed the last two games for United, where they have lost miserably and looked toothless in attack.

Nevertheless, Erik ten Hag cannot solely rely on Fernandes to be the voice in the dressing room as well as the leader on the pitch and he needs others to take account of their own actions.

It is not a new situation at United with Ferdinand explaining how Wayne Rooney, who spoke candidly about players faking injuries to not play, was left to on his own in the dressing room.

Ferdinand added: “I remember when I used to call Wayne Rooney and going ‘what’s going on here?’ a year or so after leaving.

“He said, ‘Rio, I am on my own really. I am the only one who has a voice. There’s probably five or six of them boys there, I can’t do it all on my own’.

“I think that is the way it is now, there’s far too many people that are going, ‘you know what, he’s doing it, he’s doing it, I can do it as well’.”

United take on Newcastle on Wednesday night before ending the season against Brighton at the Amex Stadium, having already lost 14 times in the Premier League this season.

They have also won just once in their last eight Premier League games, stretching back over the last two months.

Whether Ten Hag can keep his job remains to be seen at the end of the campaign but there might need to be a clearout in the summer.