Speaking on BT Sport, Rio Ferdinand has defended Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following the side’s bore draw against Wolves in the FA Cup.

What did he say?

The Red Devils couldn’t muster a single shot on target over the course of the 90 minutes in their FA Cup third round clash on Saturday afternoon, and the game followed their 2-0 defeat to rivals Arsenal on New Year’s Day.

And when pressed on whether he could see an identity and a sense of purpose and direction under Solskjaer, Ferdinand refused to criticise the Norwegian for United’s insipid performances.

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He said (as quoted by The Daily Mirror): “Not super clearly yet. I still think it’s a work in progress. Their problem has been with the inconsistency. Recently they’ve beaten Spurs and City and you think, ‘right, they’re on the right path now, they’re moving forward’. Then they put in a performance like they did at Arsenal, and it was a bit disheartening seeing that game.

“I think with the young players, the players he’s got out, the inconsistency is understandable, so you can see where it’s coming from.”

Bizarre

If Solskjaer had taken charge a few weeks ago, and questions of identity and philosophy were broached, then Ferdinand’s answer would be entirely understandable. It takes time for a manager to really stamp their authority on a team, and there would inevitably be some teething problems at the beginning of their reign.

However, Solskjaer has now been in the job for over a year now, and the Red Devils have been plagued by inconsistency and a lack of clear direction both on the pitch and off it. They went from beating Tottenham and Manchester City to losing to Watford, and then beating Newcastle and Burnley to losing to Arsenal. And the summer transfer window saw them sign just three senior players, whilst also failing to replace the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Ander Herrera.

Ferdinand’s defence of his former teammate appears to be blinkered and rather bizarre. It may well be a young team, but Solskjaer has had more than enough time to instil what he wants. Instead, they look as disjointed as ever.

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