Ferdinand slams 'stupid' Man Utd players after Rashford incident

Tom Weber

• 29 Jan 2024 15:12 CST
• 3 min read

Erik ten Hag can't trust his Manchester United players after the latest off-pitch incident.

For all the talk of Ten Hag being a disciplinarian, there seems to be a distinct lack of discipline and professionalism in Man Utd's squad. After Jadon Sancho publically called the coach a liar on social media - for which he was exiled from the squad and shipped out on loan - Marcus Rashford is the latest Red Devils star to make headlines for the wrong reasons.

The winger, who was rewarded with a lucrative new deal after his 30-goal season last term, was spotted in a Belfast nightclub on successive nights last week before calling in sick for training and missing his side's anything-but-easy FA Cup win over League Two side Newport County.

Rashford's escapade prompted a blunt response from Ten Hag, with the Dutchman saying: "He reported ill. The rest is an internal matter. I deal with it, we will deal with it."

So far this season, the 26-year-old has shown nothing in the way of performance to suggest he should be allowed to get away with this incident, and the fallout of it could have serious repercussions for the rest of the Man Utd squad, according to club legend Rio Ferdinand.

Ten Hag can't trust 'stupid' players

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former defender voiced his belief that Ten Hag simply can't trust his players anymore. "Who else is dealing with that type of stupidness? Who else is dealing with these behavioural problems, these sagas, these big personalities who are doing what they feel is right at the time?"

"We're dealing with someone dealing with a lot of issues in the glare of the public, we're the biggest club in the world. It's unprecedented. He isn't letting people get away with it, which I like.

"There's a point where it's trust. Can this manager trust the players won't be front, middle, back page headlines? He can't. He can't trust them at the moment to allow him to focus on football...I hate talking about all these things outside of the 90 minutes."

"But it's consistently popping up. It's been happening for years. There are so many different scenarios that we are talking about, outside of the game and it is down to the club, the players and the manager to create a culture where people stay in check."