Manchester United have picked up seven points from their opening five Premier League fixtures having already faced Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal
Rio Ferdinand pictured in conversation with Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim last season(Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Rio Ferdinand believes it has been a ‘remarkable’ start to the new season for Manchester United but has issued a word of warning for the Reds ahead of this weekend’s trip to Brentford.
Amorim has come under pressure from all quarters so far this season after a mixed start to his first full campaign at Old Trafford. Defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City have been the only losses in the Premier League.
However, the draw to Fulham left many underwhelmed, while the victory over Burnley was far from convincing. Last weekend’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Old Trafford alleviated some of the pressure on Amorim, but questions about the Portuguese head coach are sure to ramp up if United drop points at struggling Brentford.
Speaking exclusively to MEN Sport on behalf of the Talking Futures – Half Time Talks initiative, Ferdinand admitted he was pleased to an extent with United’s start. “I think I am more satisfied than anything,” he explained.
“I am not jumping and punching the air, going crazy because we still lack that consistency. But I think the run of games that we have had, I think there is nobody in the league who has had a harder start to the season in terms of opponents.
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“But, to get seven points like that was rather remarkable really and I think that’s a positive to take out of it. At the same time, as a football club, you only really get taken seriously when you show a level of consistency with results and I think that is something which is a definite ask and demand of these players.”
While their start in the Premier League has been mixed, United were embarrassingly knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two Grimsby Town in August, which did little to boost the mood at Old Trafford. And while Ferdinand admits that the loss to Grimsby has put a dampener on the campaign to date, he still feels that there are positives to be had.
“Maybe [the start would look better if they hadn’t lost to Grimsby] but I think you are seeing a lot of positives in the games here and there but just not the consistency,” Ferdinand concluded. “You are seeing glimpses and moments that these players can introduce where you go: ‘Oh wow that is brilliant,’ but to be a successful side you need that consistency with that and that is what this team needs to do.”
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