Rio Ferdinand claims Manchester United “become individuals” when their backs are against the wall and believes the side lack “balls” under Ralf Rangnick.
United have surrendered half-time leads in their last two Premier League games against Burnley and Southampton, leading to criticism of players and manager.
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And Ferdinand believes individual mistakes are “killing the team”.
He said on his Five with Vibe podcast: “In the first 20 to 30 minutes you go ‘oh – I like this,’ there’s fluidity, there’s a continuity within the team, there’s a togetherness but the problem is weathering the bad storms.
“In every game you get a five minute spell or whatever it is, where the other team get hold of the game and you get penned back a little bit whether you like it or not.
“It’s about having the balls to be able to get through that, the knowhow and I think a big part of that is discipline – I think that’s where we lack compared to top teams.
“When those moments come you need a discipline within the team, to say ‘we stick together,’ in them situations, they end up becoming individuals more than ever and thinking ‘I can do this on my own, I’ve got to create a moment of craziness’.
“Individual mistakes or bad decision making on individual parts is what’s killing the team right now. Whether it’s missing a chance, final ball delivery or defending a situation. Individuals are making mistakes in them areas.”
In the ten league games since Rangnick took over as interim manager, United have dropped points to Newcastle, Wolves, Aston Villa, Burnley and Southampton.
And Feridnand believes they should have picked up far more points under the German in those “winnable” games.
He said: “There’s a video going around on socials of me and Owen Hargreaves on BT Sport saying look at the run of games when Ralf Rangnick got the job, ten or 12 games against teams where you’d think ‘I’m lucky to come in at this time and get those games cause they’re winnable, we should be racking up the points in them games’.
“I get it you’re going to draw a couple of games here and there but the way we’re just throwing games away, we start brightly we look like a team with an idea of what we’re doing and then it just falls apart.
“They’ve got to unpick that within that club, what is the reason? Why is it you start well and finish horrendously? Don’t finish chances, don’t capitalise when you’re on top.
“It just isn’t good enough and I know what’s going to give. I said before Rangnick needed time on the training field and he’s got that now and he isn’t producing.”
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