Ferdinand questions Maguire's captaincy credentials at Man Utd
Former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand, a six-time Premier League champion with the club, has called for Harry Maguire to show more leadership.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand questioned Harry Maguire's captaincy credentials following his comments after the club's Premier League loss to Arsenal.
Maguire felt United were complacent in Sunday's 1-0 defeat at home to Arsenal, after the Red Devils had humbled last season's Champions League semi-finalists RB Leipzig 5-0 last week, having also upstaged runners-up Paris Saint-Germain in Group H.
Lowest tally since Moyes
United – who languish 15th in the league table – have collected just seven points from their six Premier League games this season, the team's lowest tally at this stage since David Moyes' short stint at the helm in 2013-14, while they are now winless in their past six league home games.
As a result of the defeat, United have failed to win any of their opening four top-flight games at Old Trafford for the first time since 1972-73, a campaign in which they finished 18th.
Ferdinand – a six-time Premier League champion and Champions League winner with United – called for skipper Maguire to show more leadership at Old Trafford.
"We're lacking confidence in certain areas. We gained a bit of confidence in midweek but do they get too overconfident?" he said via the Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE YouTube channel.
"I saw Harry Maguire and a couple of his comments after the game saying maybe they were patting each other on the back too much. Get a hold of that team - he's the captain.
"I hope he's getting in there and getting round people and telling people 'listen, we aren't the finished article, we've got loads to do, there is more from us to come, pull your socks up'.
"I don't know if that's going on. The captain of Man Utd. There's always been leaders in that changing room who would be going round and drilling people, either one-to-one or in front of the group. Pulling people aside, having little conversations to get people up, to make sure they stay on their game.
Players must stand up
"I remember Nani, I didn't chat to him really, it was two or three words, 'assists and goals' or 'shoot on sight'. Boom, that's it. It doesn't need an essay of words. Sometimes it's short and sharp, punchy little things.
"Are these conversations going on? It isn't just for the management to deal with that, sometimes the players in that dressing room need to stand up and put it on people."
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United travel to Istanbul Basaksehir for Wednesday's Champions League fixture.