Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United must face ‘consequences’ for poor displays

Rio Ferdinand believes a fear of failure and consequences needs instilling in the Manchester United dressing room if things are to turn around under incoming manager Erik ten Hag.

Having finished runners-up in last year’s Premier League and Europa League, the summer signings of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho only fuelled optimism around Old Trafford.

But hope only made for an ever harder fall for the 20-time league champions, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer departing in November and interim successor Ralf Rangnick failing to get a consistent tune out of the squad.

United are set to miss out on Champions League qualification and fan anger at the owners continues to provide a backdrop, with more protests against the Glazer family planned during Monday’s match with Brentford.

Protestors plan to leave 17 minutes from the end – a minute for each year of the Glazers’ ownership – in the final home game of a season in which Ferdinand feels the dressing room culture has become too soft.

“When I look from the outside, I don’t feel that there’s a fear factor,” the former United defender told the PA news agency.

“When you look at great teams, you didn’t want to ever disappoint your manager or your team-mates.

“By that I mean from basic things to making sure that I’m in at the right times, making sure that my application on a day-to-day basis is at that level. The culture, the standards are here every day.

“Going out onto the pitch, if anybody could ever say to me that I hadn’t put the work in for 90 minutes that would have been terrifying for me.

“To think that my team-mates would read that or think that, or my coaching staff would think or feel that.

“I don’t think those fear factors are as prominent and as strong as