‘We choked, it’s as simple as that’: Rio Ferdinand rules Manchester United out of title race after ‘criminal’ defense last time out against Everton
- Rio Ferdinand says United are not in the title race after ‘choking’ against Everton
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored an equalizer for Everton for the 95th minute on Saturday
- Ferdinand believes Man United are guilty of “lifting themselves up all the time”
- He says Man United must ‘change their habits and their lack of consistency’
Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United are not in the title race after ‘choking’ Everton on Saturday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team missed the chance to equalize with Manchester City – who have another game in hand – after Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored a 95th-minute equalizer for the Toffees.
Ferdinand feels disappointed with United’s performance and says they are guilty of drowning themselves all the time.
Rio Ferdinand says Manchester United are not in the title race after ‘choking’ Everton
United’s 3-3 draw with Everton dropped Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men five points behind Manchester City.
It’s also another game in which United fail to walk away with three points.
United’s title hopes are starting to wane as they have won just two of their last six league games – with their biggest upset against Sheffield United, who are bottom.
Speaking about the fall of United out of grace, Ferdinand said: ‘You can not defend it. At the end of the day, Man United sit properly at the top of the league.
Manchester United drew 3-3 with Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton team (top) on Saturday
Dominic Calvert-Lewin taps from a Lucas Digne free-kick to equalize for Everton later
‘We did not come this season and expect to be title challengers. We were too far behind Liverpool (last season). You can not expect to have such a turnaround to win the league, it is impossible.
‘But I’m like all the other fans. You see the league table, you look at the results, you get excited. If you put yourself in that position, Man United should strike. You are there now and there is an opportunity.
‘If there’s an opportunity to go. The problem is that we let this opportunity slip through our hands. You can see Man City with their experience, they smelled blood, they put their heads down, they’re gone.
“But United stuttered, we got the choking going, and it didn’t work out really well. We choked, it’s simple. I would put ourselves out of the title challenge unless we run and change our habits and our lack of consistency.
The draw puts Man United five points behind Manchester City – who have a game in hand
Ferdinand criticized Harry Maguire (left) for not leading the United team from behind
‘But I have not seen enough yet to suggest that we can go on a winning streak of ten, 15 games. We disappear ourselves all the time. It’s top four, we finish second or third. ‘
Ferdinand also criticized United’s defensive structure for Everton’s equalizer, adding: ‘I see Harry Maguire, you have to lead that team from behind and make sure (mistakes) don’t happen.
‘I was fuming before the free kick. Aaron Wan-Bissaka needs to understand his game management at the moment of the match.
‘To give the ball in, so loose, to be cut out, is criminal. I would go screaming in that locker room. ‘
