'That's my issue' - Ferdinand's damning verdict on Man Utd duo with Liverpool comparison

Rio Ferdinand has questioned Manchester United’s centre-backs of lacking the quality needed to win titles.

The Red Devils are battling for a top-four finish this season but a 0-0 draw with Watford last time out leaves sixth-placed Arsenal closing in, two points behind but with three games in hand.

United’s defence has come in for particular criticism this year with Harry Maguire singled out for several key mistakes and poor performances.

Rangnick also has Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof at his disposal but Ferdinand is concerned the Swede and Maguire aren’t capable of playing on the front-foot like Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk or Manchester City’s Ruben Dias.

‘I think there can be improvements. I think Lindelof is a good player, a solid player. Is he gonna enable you to win the league? I don’t know,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube show, Vibe with Five.

‘Is Maguire gonna enable you to win the league, that’s the question as well. Because the thing about someone like Ralf and all the top teams now, when they play now, they play on the front foot and are aggressive and wanna win the ball high.

‘So, therefore, you need defenders who can defend on the halfway line, one-v-one, two-v-two – or three against two if you need that security.

‘If you can play two-v-two one-v-one or on the halfway line, that enables you to have more bodies in the opponent’s half of the pitch, hence why teams do that to win the ball early and be closer to the opposition’s goal to score goals.

‘Liverpool do it tremendously well, City do it really, really well as well, Bayern [Munich] do it; three of the best teams on the planet. Everyone’s going that way of playing football, Ralf Rangnick’s style of football is like that.

​’It’s not like a job – it’s