For Rio Ferdinand, watching through his fingers during Manchester United’s thrilling 2-2 draw with old adversaries Liverpool on Sunday, there was a worrying sense of Erik ten Hag’s side falling back into old – and rather bad – habits.
It was a common theme throughout the first half of the campaign.
Rasmus Hojlund stretching the defence, dropping deep, spinning in behind, darting into the channels. Waiting, praying, for a pass which would never come.
As the Dane scored in six successive Premier League games before his recent injury absence – becoming the youngest player in the tournament’s history ever to do so – it appeared that Manchester United had found their eureka moment, Hojlund’s understanding with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho growing by the game.
But, since returning from a brief spell on the sidelines, those old struggles have returned. Hojlund is now four games without a goal and didn’t even muster a shot against Jurgen Klopp’s side last weekend.
Rasmus Hojlund four games without a Manchester United goal
“Look at Hojlund,” sighs Rio Ferdinand, speaking on his Vibe with Five podcast after another afternoon which amounted to little more than a heavy cardio session for the frequently under-served Denmark international.
“How many balls did we get in the box for him? How many balls are we getting in the channel for him to run onto? We don’t seem to be playing to his strengths.”
That recent and dismal 1-1 draw at Brentford comes to mind when discussing the failings of Manchester United’s frontline. An attack which has scored as many goals as Luton Town and Bournemouth, and fewer than Fulham.
There was one moment in particular which summed things up in West London, Rashford firing a trademark knuckleball into the arms of Mark Flekken, ignoring a clever spin into space from Hojlund inside the penalty area.
Finding a way to get United’s front three clicking again is one of the tasks facing the under-pressure Ten Hag, with Ferdinand also sharing similar concerns over the set-up of the Red Devils’ disjointed midfield.
Rio Ferdinand shares Erik ten Hag concerns
“You’ve got a 19-year-old centre-back (Willy Kambwala) with zero protection in front of him,” Ferdinand adds.
The teenager was imperious against Liverpool but, really, he had to be.
“There’s a lot of things going on in the team where we’re not seeing the best of our players, and I think that’s because of the way the team is set up,” the 2008 Champions League winner says.
“That type of football leads to seeing players at the worst at times. Casemiro, for all that he’s won and the great player that he’s been, he will look a worse player when the tactics are the way they are, when it’s open, transition football, when there’s big spaces around him.
“In that midfield, at times, another midfielder is 20 yards away, 30 yards away. That never happened at Real Madrid, so you don’t see his worst traits, which is his mobility.”
“Same with Kobbie Mainoo. So you do things with a structure of a team, so you don’t see that. We’re doing things that mean you’re going to see exactly their worst trait. It makes them look worse at times.”