Rio Ferdinand has named three players as key to Manchester United’s recent development under Ruben Amorim.
The Portuguese manager’s sacking at Old Trafford had been heralded for the first few months of the season, following defeats to Arsenal, Manchester City and Brentford in the Premier League, and a disastrous League Cup exit at the hands of League Two side Grimsby Town.
However, a five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League that lifted United to seventh place in the Premier League has given Amorim some breathing space and given him hope for the club’s future, with many players, old and new, producing great individual performances.
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Asked on Rio Ferdinand Presents who United’s “most important player right now” is, Ferdinand said: “I don’t think it’s a one-man game. There’s no way it’s a one-man game.[Matthejs]de Ligt has been our best defender this season. He’s even added goals for us, like that last-minute goal the other day.”
“But when it comes to his pressing, he is proactive and has a willingness to go to foreign areas of the pitch to defend at the right time. His clearances from the box are great.”
“(Brian) Mbeumo was also a joke. He’s a player who can really step in and be a mainstay and give us the ball for two or three seconds and score important goals for us and create chances.”
“I saw Thomas Frank commenting on him yesterday. He’s a complete winger. By the end of the season, he’ll be one of the most complete wingers in the league. He can do anything. He just needs to redshirt and keep doing it consistently.”
Amorim will miss Mbeumo over the Christmas period and into the New Year when the Cameroonian heads to the African Cup of Nations.
And the United manager admitted his absence could mean the Red Devils bosses push for reinforcements in January.
“Of course there would be problems there, but we already knew that,” he said. “So that situation is going to be difficult to manage.”
“But let’s see if we can improve the team and repair something that happened when the window opens. Until then, we have to take our chances.”
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Ferdinand also named Senne Ramens, who joined from Royal Antwerp in the summer for £22m, as another key player in the turnaround.
The 23-year-old spent the first three games on the bench, but has claimed to be United’s No. 1 ahead of Altay Vaindir after Andre Onana left on loan at Trabzonspor.
“And the goalkeeper,” Ferdinand continued. “You can’t talk about who is our most important player without talking about the goalkeeper.
“It’s no coincidence that we’re doing well and that we have a goalkeeper that all the players trust.”
