Manchester United Rio Ferdinand has given his take on a clip of Erling Haaland ‘struggling’ with a training drill ahead of Manchester City’s game at the weekend.
A social media clip of Erling Haaland struggling to pass the ball around to his teammates in a ‘Rondo’ was branded ’embarrassing’ by The Star.
Former Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand was asked about this during his weekly Five video, and reflected that some players simply struggle with the drills.
Ferdinand commented: “In every single squad there are two or three of them man, who can’t play Rondo, they are rubbish, they are terrible. It’s a fact. I remember players came to England, Nigel Reo-Coker sat out the Rondo, his confidence was on the floor.”
The conversation then turned to his experience at Manchester United, where Ferdinand said the possession drills were taken very seriously.
Best Manchester United trainers at Rondos
Rio Ferdinand explained that during his 11-year Manchester United career, the drills were a part of training the players enjoyed, and had strict rules for.
Ferdinand said that the senior players did the drills as a group, separately from the younger ones, explaining that Cristiano Ronaldo was never part of his set up, during the Portuguese star’s early years at the club.
The centre-back went on to pick out the best trainers, and named Roy Keane as the one who really stood out.
He explained: “You know who was good and people wouldn’t even think about it in the Rondos, Roy Keane, he used to slap the ball in, down the side, ah mate.
“Laurent Blanc was king of the nutmegs. Ruud van Nistelrooy was good, top.
“Scholesy was good, Veron. Giggsy had the sly megs, no look on lock. Carrick… Patrice Evra was always in the middle. We used to bury him.”
Worst Manchester United player at Rondos
Ferdinand’s main point was that the technical training drills were not for everybody, and he picked out one teammate who could not cut it.
Somewhat predictably, midfielder Anderson was the one Ferdinand revealed to have struggled.
He said: “Anderson was rubbish. He didn’t take it seriously.
“Rondo is not a joke, its a drill, that’s what we used to say, you can’t mess about. The young ones used to mess about.
“It’s not all about skills. [It’s] can you get the ball to the goal quicker than anyone else.”