MANCHESTER UNITED legend Rio Ferdinand has hit back at Gary Lineker over his “nonsense” claims about Sir Alex Ferguson’s legacy.
The Red Devils icon was in a bullish mood after his old side crashed out of the FA Cup on penalties to Fulham at the weekend.
Rio Ferdinand has come to the defence of Manchester United legend Sir Alex FergusonGetty Images – Getty
X @BBCMOTDGary Lineker has blamed United’s current predicament on Fergie’s legacy[/caption]
Big-money signings like Rasmus Hojlund struggled to make an impression as the game finished 1-1 after 120 minutes.
And United’s exit means they only have the Europa League left to play for, with the club also sitting 14th in the Premier League.
After the defeat to Fulham, BBC host Lineker made a bombshell comment claiming that United’s long-standing woes can be traced back to the final days of legendary manager Ferguson.
The Scot lifted his 13th title before retiring from the beautiful game in 2013.
He was replaced by David Moyes, who lasted less than a year before being sacked.
United then went through Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag, who didn’t win a single Premier League title between them.
Current boss Ruben Amorim has an even bigger puzzle to solve after United hit a new low in the table.
And Lineker claimed Ferguson did not leave the Red Devils in a good place when he quit 15 years ago.
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Lineker said: “If you look at Liverpool now, they’ve got a new manager in Arne Slot, and it’s testament to how Jurgen Klopp left the club in a really good state.
“So the structure is really good. That probably wasn’t the case at the end of Sir Alex Ferguson’s [time at Old Trafford].
GettyJoshua Zirkzee missed a penalty as United were knocked out of the FA Cup by Fulham[/caption]
PAUnited have hit a new low in the table under Ruben Amorim[/caption]
“I know they won the league that season. But it wasn’t their best side, and a lot of their great players were coming to the end of their careers.
“I think from there they had problems. The academy wasn’t delivering the players that they were before.”
Now, Lineker has come under fire from ex-United star Ferdinand for his comments.
The former centre-back spent 11 seasons under Fergie, winning six titles and a Champions League in the process.
And Ferdinand, who exited United a year after Sir Alex’s exit in 2014, insists his old boss is not to blame for any current woes.
He argued on social media that Ferguson left a squad for successor Moyes boasting an average age of 26.6 years.
Ferdinand pointed to the blend of youthful and experienced players in the team, especially among the forward line.
And he also made sure to note that of the 25 players in the squad, 19 were fully-seasoned internationals.
Ferdinand ended by reminding people that Fergie’s final title win saw United take top spot by a massive 11 points.
And he instead believes that recruitment in the post-Sir Alex phase is to blame for United’s downfall.
I’ve read over the last few days it’s The Boss’ fault. What a load of nonsense
Rio Ferdinand
Ferdinand said: “Average age of the squad Sir Alex left was 26.6 years old. Blend of youth + experience.
“Our attacking players were… Rooney (27), RVP (29), Chicharito (25), Welbeck (22), Zaha (20), Nani (26), Ashley Young (27), Lingard (20), Kagawa (24), Valencia (27), Januzaj (18).
“19 international players. Ps we won the league by 11 points…
“Since then, the recruitment has been poor. But I’ve read over the last few days it’s The Boss’ fault. What a load of nonsense…”
Ferdinand backed up his spending claims by revealing the total net spend of European clubs since the 2014/15 season.
Five of the top six are English sides, with Tottenham (£502million) and Arsenal (£784m) in the mix.
According to Transfermarkt, French giants PSG are fourth with a net spend of £795m.
While Chelsea are fourth with a total worth £809m.
Second place goes to Man City with £813m.
And unsurprisingly, top spot is taken by Man United.
But their net spend is miles higher than even City’s, with the figure totalling a boggling £1.04BILLION.
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