Rio Ferdinand said Manchester United have been in a downward spiral since Sir Alex Ferguson left and said rebuilding the club will take time and patience. He also spoke about the club's running, debt, managerial turnover and dressing-room issues.
Ferdinand on the decline
Ferdinand said: "Listen, to see where the club is now, like since Alex Ferguson left and since our generation, it's just been like a downward spiral, man."
He added: "It's just been on its knees and there's multiple reasons. I think the way the club's been run has hurt the club in many ways. A lot of money's come out of the club, the club's still got huge debt."
Rebuild and managerial turnover
Ferdinand said the turnover of managers at Manchester United means there is something more drastically wrong behind the scenes and further up the chain.
He said: "I think people, when you're looking at the club, and it's difficult when you're a fan cuz you're emotional and you want it all now. We all want it. I want it yesterday. I want it to be fixed now. But this is a process. It's going to have to take long. It's going to have to be patience."
Ferdinand also said people at Manchester United should not want people sacked every time there is an issue, a problem or a bad run of form.
Dressing room and public criticism
Ferdinand said the dressing room is a sacred place and that he would not back a player questioning the manager's tactics in public.
He said: "Firstly, I wouldn't have done it as a player... I think when I look at it as a player, the dressing room is a sacred place."
He also said: "I didn't agree with the Champions League final in Rome against Barcelona. This way we approached the game tactically... and I voiced my opinion in the change room."
Expectations and standards
Ferdinand said Manchester United cannot financially compete for some of the most expensive players and are fishing in a different pond now.
He said: "Our expectations shouldn't be to win the league now. Our standards should be to win the league."
