Rio Ferdinand has insisted that his former club have done a “disservice” to one first-team Manchester United player under manager Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim’s men made their return to Premier League action last Sunday and Manchester United lost 1-0 to Wolves in a shock league defeat at Old Trafford.
Pablo Sarabia was the difference-maker between the two sides and the 32-year-old Wolves star broke the deadlock in the second half with a sensational free-kick.
United were left chasing an equaliser for the remainder of the Premier League tie and Pablo Sarabia’s strike ensured that Wolves walked away with all three points.
Wolves’ 1-0 victory over United at Old Trafford has put Vitor Pereira’s men in 15th place in the Premier League table and they are level on points with the Red Devils.
United suffered their 15th Premier League defeat of their lacklustre 2024-25 campaign and the Red Devils have won only one of their last five matches.
Amorim’s men have only five Premier League matches remaining in the season and the Red Devils are on course for their worst finish since the league’s formation in 1992.
Rio Ferdinand uses one Man Utd legend to highlight the real battle that Rasmus Hojlund faces at Old Trafford
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim watched on from the Old Trafford touchline as the Red Devils fell short in the final third against Wolves last Sunday.
Rasmus Hojlund was leading the frontline for United before Amorim withdrew the Danish forward in the second half and replaced him with Chido Obi-Martin.
The 22-year-old United striker was largely ineffective in attack in the Premier League tie and Hojlund’s struggles at Old Trafford in the current campaign have continued.
Hojlund has only netted three times and picked up one assist in 28 Premier League matches this season, with the United star coming under criticism for his form.
Rio Ferdinand spotlighted United and England legend Wayne Rooney as an example of how difficult of a situation that Hojlund had found himself in at Old Trafford.
“I worry more about him [Hojlund] mentally,” he said on Rio Ferdinand Presents.
“What this can do to a player, can he recover? I think Man Utd have done a disservice to him.
“As much as he hasn’t played well and scored the goals, when has a massive club, other than with a superstar player, like a Rooney, ever been able to say come in and hit the ground running and play 30, 35 games and expect you to score goals.”
Why Rio Ferdinand thinks Wayne Rooney’s situation differed so much from what Rasmus Hojlund is going through at Man Utd
Ferdinand played alongside Wayne Rooney for both club and country and his fellow United legend had a sensational impact at Old Trafford during his prolific career.
Rooney first arrived at the Red Devils after Sir Alex Ferguson signed him from Everton in 2004 and he went on to become United’s all-time leading scorer.
Ferdinand has spoken out on United striker Rasmus Hojlund before and the Red Devils legend spotlighted why former teammate Rooney was in a different position.
“Rooney came in, and [Ruud] Van Nistelrooy was our number one striker,” he said.
“He [Rooney] was a back-up striker. Hojlund’s come in, expected to be number one, a £75million striker, all this pressure on his shoulders isn’t fair on him.”
Amorim’s United side are back in action on Sunday with their Premier League visit to the Vitality Stadium, with the Red Devils facing Bournemouth at 2pm UK time.
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