Ekeke
Full Member
https://www.teamtalk.com/news/ferdinand-unconvinced-by-man-utd-defensive-duo
Rio Ferdinand is not convinced that Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are a strong enough combination to bring major trophies to Manchester United.
There wasn’t a problem for the central defensive pairing on Wednesday night when United blasted RB Leipzig 5-0. Marcus Rashford was the star of the show with a hat-trick.
And they also kept Chelsea out in a lacklustre 0-0 draw at Old Trafford last weekend.
But the duo played together when United shipped five goals in their opening two Premier League games. They were the 3-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace and 3-2 win at Brighton.
And Maguire played the full 90 minutes – this time alongside Eric Bailly – when United were thrashed 6-1 at home by Tottenham.
But Ferdinand, one of United’s standout central defenders in the modern era, remains dubious that they have the desired quality. And he’s particularly concerned when the duo are up against pace.
Talking about the Maguire-Lindelof* pairing, he told BT Sport: “Is it good enough? I’d probably say no, if you’re trying to win the top competitions.
“Yes, last season they had a good defensive record. But I just see moments in games where they get opened up, they get physically dominated at times, especially in terms of pace. Especially if their protection isn’t what you’d expect it to be if the game opens up a little bit.
“If the game opens up and they’re on the halfway line and they’re playing one-v-one or two-v-two, then I fear for my life in that situation.
“If the team shape is fine and it’s all set up properly, then they look a decent pairing.”