Rio Ferdinand

I remember it was the last game of 2005/06 season, against Charlton.

I've got even this game somewhere on a CD, but I'm sure I won't find it when I need this.

His ban was from Jan 04' to Sep 04'.

Rio Ferdinand saw his return to Manchester United colours overshadowed by defensive colleague Mikael Silvestre who powered home the goals that beat Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford.

After eight months as a frustrated spectator, Ferdinand's comeback dominated the build-up to one the traditionally fiery north-west encounter.

He did have a jaffa cake in more than one game though, might've been v Charlton.
 
I mean I don't remember if he had a jaffa cake v Liverpool, I know he had v Charlton. Maybe he had in more than one game.
 
He definitely had a few Jaffa Cakes in the Liverpool game. I remember it clearly.
 
I am starting to worry a touch about Rio at the moment and I am one of his biggest fans.

More and more errors are creeping into his game which suggests his best attribute, reading play, is waning.
 
Need to manage his games better. After the 6-1 he was impeccable until he got injured again, looks all over the place at the moment which is a stark contrast to the Rio I saw against Wolves where he looked like the Rio of old. Looked old in the last two games, his distribution has been poor as has decision making, may have been rushed back a bit too early. He's still a great defender on his day but his body is letting him down, needs to be used like we use Giggs.
 
Need to manage his games better. After the 6-1 he was impeccable until he got injured again, looks all over the place at the moment which is a stark contrast to the Rio I saw against Wolves where he looked like the Rio of old. Looked old in the last two games, his distribution has been poor as has decision making, may have been rushed back a bit too early. He's still a great defender on his day but his body is letting him down, needs to be used like we use Giggs.

Agree with this. He was ropey in parts last season, then played fantastically against Chelsea in the CL.

He still has it in him, no doubt, but when he struggles he really does struggle
 
evans was on the bench today so he should be back next game

he and Rio looked assured before their injuries and with smalling at right back you have a more solid defence
 
A decent performance from Rio despite looking like he lost the plot a couple of times when he went off on Jones, then Evra later. Not to mention letting Richards get passed him in the dying seconds.
 
Last time Rio came back from injury, he had three or four dodgy games and then was brilliant again up until the latest injury. Now he's had two dodgy games, so hopefully he'll be back to top form soon. And here's hoping to him staying there and not getting any more injuries.
 
Aside from a couple of stray passes, I'm at a complete loss as to why Rio is getting a bashing for his performance.

Evra and Scholes were at fault for the two goals, although it was obviously the team's mindset in the second half that cost us. I find Winter's comment that Rio was poor baffling.
 
The worrying thing is that Rio's been getting his positioning wrong a bit of late. And it wasn't good today.
 
Aside from a couple of stray passes, I'm at a complete loss as to why Rio is getting a bashing for his performance.

Evra and Scholes were at fault for the two goals, although it was obviously the team's mindset in the second half that cost us. I find Winter's comment that Rio was poor baffling.
Rio certainly wasn't poor. But I'd say he was only average, rather than the great player we know and love.

As RK said, his positioning was off a couple of times. Or to be more exact, he'd be in a position where he used to be able to get to the ball first quite easily, but with his relative lack of pace these days he was struggling just to get there in time to slow the attacking player down.
 
Thought Rio was ok to good today. I can't think of any mistakes that he, and he alone, could take the blame for. His reading of the game is still immense and a lot of the work he does is still subtle yet effective. Unfortunately in England, defenders like John Terry who make "lion-heart" last-ditch tackles get all the plaudits. Players like our Rio, who snuff attacks out before they become an issue, don't get the respect they deserve. I think today's performance was a symptom of that.

People will point to the moment he passed it wide but instead found a City player but I will argue that he was playing it to where Jones should have been. In any other United defence that ball would've found its place.

A decent performance from Rio despite looking like he lost the plot a couple of times when he went off on Jones, then Evra later. Not to mention letting Richards get passed him in the dying seconds.

That was one of my pros coming out of this game for him. He still demands from his teammates and he still cares. People say that with Twitter and his off-pitch commitments he doesn't care but it's abundantly clear he does. Evra needed a rollocking like that anyway, I think. I love Paddy, as do a lot of people on here, but sometimes he gets complacent and he did in this instance. The difference is that I don't see Vida or one of the junior CBs letting him know about it.

The worrying thing is that Rio's been getting his positioning wrong a bit of late. And it wasn't good today.

He's been playing on the "wrong" side of defence compared to most of his career. Personally I disagree anyway, his positioning seems excellent to me. At least once a game he ends up covering both his position and the other CB as well. Plus the regular cover he's always given his full-back throughout his career. Not bad.
 
His performance was up and down some good defending and then some poor defending like the poor pass to Jones or the tackle at the end on Richards. Rio struggles against the pace of Aguerro - it's understandable though he's not the same player he was. Still a good defender but can be exposed now.
 
He had to cover for Evra a few times which was not good. Glad he bollocked Evra for it. His bollocking for Jones was odd since it was his mistake but most leaders do that.
 
He had to cover for Evra a few times which was not good. Glad he bollocked Evra for it. His bollocking for Jones was odd since it was his mistake but most leaders do that.
Nah, Jones should've been reading that pass. I knew he was going to do it long before he actually did, so Jones should've seen it coming as well.

What I found interesting was Jones gave him stick back. He was wrong in this case IMO, but it shows why he's regarded as future captain material.
 
Aside from a couple of stray passes, I'm at a complete loss as to why Rio is getting a bashing for his performance.

Evra and Scholes were at fault for the two goals, although it was obviously the team's mindset in the second half that cost us. I find Winter's comment that Rio was poor baffling.

He played a blind ball to Jones and blamed him for it. He resorted to hoofing the ball a couple of times and he was literally a spectator for Aguero's goal. He showed no urgency or will whatsoever to try to get near the action on that occasion.
 
Nah, Jones should've been reading that pass. I knew he was going to do it long before he actually did, so Jones should've seen it coming as well.

What I found interesting was Jones gave him stick back. He was wrong in this case IMO, but it shows why he's regarded as future captain material.

I seem to recall Jones had just been on a run attacking City and there was a City player between him and Ferdinand. All Rio needed to do was to look up and he'd have seen that the pass was never on. It was careless and dangerous.
 
He played a blind ball to Jones and blamed him for it. He resorted to hoofing the ball a couple of times and he was literally a spectator for Aguero's goal. He showed no urgency or will whatsoever to try to get near the action on that occasion.

Agreed. Lets face it Rio isn't the player he was and how can we expect him to be at his age? Not everyone is Ryan Giggs. With Rio's history of injuries he isn't going to be able to perform the way he did 3 or 4 seasons ago. His body is starting to give and its clearly playing on his mind. He's more nervous than he used to be in possession and its causing him to make mistakes that he never used to. Its important for him to be in the squad for his influence and experience of the run in but his days as a first XI player are over. If Vida were fit Rio wouldn't be in the first XI with Smalling and Jones also available, even though Jones has had a bad run of form recently. The future is clearly a back line of Rafael, Smalling, Jones and Evans.
 
Easy to pick on Rio but a bit ott for me. Don't forget that we have not fielded a consistent back 4 in ages. Evra has been struggling and Jones' has shown to be a bit naiive at the back lately. That plus there isn't much cover from midfield (unless Jones plays there) and we have two young goalies on huge learning curves. Thank feck Smalling is over the tonsillitis and fit to play today, although he too made a bad decision at halfway today that cost us.
In short Rio still keeps that team together ... no it's not as good as having Vidic in there to partner him but it's what we have and his experience and skills we keep us in it this season. Pray he doesn't get serious injury or we will be in deep shit!
 
Agreed. Lets face it Rio isn't the player he was and how can we expect him to be at his age? Not everyone is Ryan Giggs. With Rio's history of injuries he isn't going to be able to perform the way he did 3 or 4 seasons ago. His body is starting to give and its clearly playing on his mind. He's more nervous than he used to be in possession and its causing him to make mistakes that he never used to. Its important for him to be in the squad for his influence and experience of the run in but his days as a first XI player are over. If Vida were fit Rio wouldn't be in the first XI with Smalling and Jones also available, even though Jones has had a bad run of form recently. The future is clearly a back line of Rafael, Smalling, Jones and Evans.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. Smalling looks nailed on at the moment though.
 
Rio doesn't generate the air of confidence he used to and his pace is a worry, I did think he looked better today with Smalling next to him though.
 
He played a blind ball to Jones and blamed him for it. He resorted to hoofing the ball a couple of times and he was literally a spectator for Aguero's goal. He showed no urgency or will whatsoever to try to get near the action on that occasion.

"A couple of stray passes" - yes I acknowledge his ball to Jones was lax. He resorted to hoofing the ball you say, I can't really recall that, and if he did that isn't necessarily the mark of a bad performance.

He couldn't really have done much for the second goal, scholes' pass and the wet surface that accounted for Lindegaard's spill were the more important actors. The "no urgency or will" argument that you use is a tired one, just because Rio is not a blood and thunder centre back does not mean he is now redundant, after inevitably losing pace. He is not a media friendly and aesthetically gutsy/hard centre back like a Vidic or Terry, and he has had to endure volleys of criticism for this throughout his career. Due to this, his present decline has been massively overblown by the press.

He is certainly not the player of two/three years ago, and certainly not that of 07/08 when he was the best defender in the world. His pace and strength have certainly declined, and the former definitely accounts for his occasional defensive mishaps. But his attributes that are not of a physical nature; positioning and composure on the ball for instance, remain largely intact. I still think that injuries permitting, and when managed correctly, he is one of the first names on the teamsheet. He is more crucial to us now then ever, considering Vidic is out for the season and Jones is encountering his first dip in form.
 
He did make some good blocks today but other times he was caught out and look real slow. Obviously he's in decline, (its no surprise at 33) not what he was but on his day can still offer something to the team.
 
We need to pick his games now - he is better when Smalling is next to him because Smalling wins more of the first balls leaving less for Rio to do.

he is 33 has had some back injuries which have affected him - he is still a good player but his best days are behind him- no shame in admitting that. I think some of us have been spoilt by the brilliance shown by Giggs and VDS late on in their careers - these two are definitely the exception.
 
One thing that stood out for me, and it's something somebody mentioned in the Vidic thread is how he is hoofing passes more and more. Today, in the last minutes of the game, there was a passage of play where United were keeping the ball, it came to Ferdinand and under no pressure he just hoofed it up field. I thought it was a stupid waste of possession in a crucial time.

Aguero totally beasted him at one point too, physically not just pace.
 
defense starts up field and when we play soft and back up it hangs the back four, and especially the central defenders, out to dry. put more pressure on the ball, all over the pitch, and we'll see him/them have fewer issues. we know they can do it, we saw it against barca preseason, in the community shield, and against chelsea at the season's start.
 
He played a blind ball to Jones and blamed him for it. He resorted to hoofing the ball a couple of times and he was literally a spectator for Aguero's goal. He showed no urgency or will whatsoever to try to get near the action on that occasion.

I'm glad someone was watching the same game as me.
 
He's obviously lacking confidence and that would lead to taking less risks with his passing. As far as the pass to Jones goes I think he and Rio were to blame. Jones had turned his back on the game instead of getting in position and giving Rio the option of a pass.
 
He's obviously lacking confidence and that would lead to taking less risks with his passing. As far as the pass to Jones goes I think he and Rio were to blame. Jones had turned his back on the game instead of getting in position and giving Rio the option of a pass.

Just watched it back. Ferdinand had a simple pass back to the keeper or to the left wing to Evra on. He had enough space and time to turn with the ball and find Carrick.

With the Aguero goal, he does not even look over his shoulder to see who is behind him in the box. He is tracking nobody and marking nobody. The ball is played infront of him and he turns, sees Agureo and has already given up. He makes no attempt to close him down or get to the goal line. He just stops and watches - and to be fair Jones does exactly the same. Now they of course couldn't have predicted that Lindegaard would save the initial shot, but they should have been racing back in case that happened - it's not as though it's an unusual situation for a keeper to spill a shot.
 
We do need a class defender to partner Smalling for the long term future.

Our defense, from our strongest point a year back has become our weakest.
 
Just as Vidic was hitting his peak as a defender he is taken away from us. The injury is a triple ligament then he won't be the same player - that's just how it is. Now we have an aging Rio and 3 talented but young centrebacks. Its not ideal but we will have to find a solution.
 
Aside from a couple of stray passes, I'm at a complete loss as to why Rio is getting a bashing for his performance.

Evra and Scholes were at fault for the two goals, although it was obviously the team's mindset in the second half that cost us. I find Winter's comment that Rio was poor baffling.

Agreed. He was decent.

Also nowhere near as bad as people seem to think he was against Newcastle. Don't understand the stick he's getting at all.
 
so this is what happens when Rio is asked to do the job Vidic did in the past two years
 
Ahh Pogue, he was dismal in both games. I'm all for defending United players, but Rio is finished I'm afraid.

Don't agree at all. Genuinely bemused by all the stick he's getting after those two games. He's had some very poor games this season but he did fine in the last couple of games. IMHO.