Manchester United legend-turned-pundit Rio Ferdinand had no words of sympathy for the Red Devil players after they succumbed to a 2-1 aggregate defeat to Sevilla in the Champions League round of 16 stage.
Jose Mourinho has opted for a rather defensive approach during the away-leg which finished in a 0-0 draw, but the performance was quite similar at Old Trafford, with United tending allow Sevilla to have multiple shots on goal.
Eventually, Ben Yedder found his way on the scoresheet on two occasions from the bench, and though Romelu Lukaku scored thereafter, it ended up in a minor consolation in a game, where United offered little in the attack front.
Following the game, Ferdinand was visibly fuming, and did not hold back on his criticism, he said: “They looked like a team thrown together, full of strangers. They played nervously and cautiously in the beginning.
“In these games, you have to go out and take the game by the scruff of the neck. That takes personality, takes character to go and do that. In this stadium, you’ve got to give the fans something to chant about. This stadium tonight was quiet, and that’s down to the players, you’ve got to inspire them.”
Over the course of the 180 minutes, United never looked like taking the game to the Andalusian outfit, and this would surely bring further criticism towards the players, who struggled to exhibit their dominance over Sevilla, especially in the midfield.
The defeat is likely to affect the mood around the squad, but they need to make a quick turnaround to face Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup, which is now the only route to making the season a success with silverware.
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