Rio Ferdinand tells new interim manager to take Manchester United player out of the firing line

Rio Ferdinand has suggested that Harry Maguire be dropped and given a break from work at Manchester United so he can recover from his recent struggles.

The defender has been on the receiving end of some criticisms lately, following United’s poor run of games.

The Red Devils lost important games to Liverpool and Manchester City before the International break, with Maguire blamed for being responsible for some of the goals conceded in those games.

United’s last game was a 4-1 Premier League loss to Watford, with Maguire getting sent off for a poor challenge.

Michael Carrick has been appointed to take charge in the interim, while United look for a new manager, and Ferdinand believes Maguire needs a break to get himself together.

He said on his Five YouTube channel, “Harry wouldn’t like to hear this but I just think sometimes you need to be taken out of the firing line.

“He’s had a long summer, a successful summer with England to a certain degree. He’s played a lot of football, comes back to United and physically and mentally it looks like there’s a hangover there.

“He won’t take himself out of it, I wouldn’t either, I’d try and play myself through it, but at the moment his performances haven’t been up to the level required, for him, for Man United. The bar he set himself wouldn’t be there.

“I saw Gary Neville spoke about it the other day that he was having a nightmare after three or four summers on the bounce playing football for England and Man United and needed time off.

“I think Harry Maguire is probably at that point right now.”

Ferdinand added: “The timing [of the red card against Watford] was terrible.

“Harry will be gutted, devastated. He will be sitting at home, he’s a good professional, but he will be sitting there and having to take responsibility for his performances.

“It’s bigger than a red card, this hasn’t been something that just happened at Watford, this has been building for the last few weeks.

“It’s a bit of everything, it’s not the players completely, it’s not the manager solely and the coaching staff, it’s not just the people that run the club.

“All of those elements and individual parts of the football club will have to take responsibility for where we are today because they all played their part in being at this low ebb.”