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Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has delivered a blunt warning to Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho following their exclusion from the matchday squad that beat Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday.
United came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory over Pep Guardiola’s men.
Amad Diallo was the star of the show, winning the penalty that led to the equaliser before going on to grab the winner himself a few moments later.
In the absence of Rashford and Garnacho, United looked good and arguably went toe-to-toe with the reigning Premier League champions.
After the final whistle, Ruben Amorim told reporters that his decision to axe the two Carrington academy graduates was because they failed to match the high standards expected of them in a number of key areas.
Amorim however insisted that the new week represents a chance for Rashford and Garnacho to work hard and reclaim their place in the team.
Speaking about the situation on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand remarked, “Football don’t owe anyone nothing.”
“I actually thought at one point I was owed something. I didn’t get it. And I look back and go, You know what? I weren’t owed anything.”
“You don’t give to receive as a footballer. In that sense, you respect is the only thing that you want, that I think that you should, you should demand, but you need to earn that as well.”
The six-time Premier League winner added, “I’m not doubting the talent that Marcus and Garnacho have. They have a huge talent. They’re in there in the upper echelons of football, in terms of what talent that they could produce.”
“They’ve shown that they can produce moments of brilliance, right? Ok, so no one’s doubting the talent that they have, but it may not be just right for what this manager wants. That could be their problem – that’s what happens with any new manager coming in, there’s always gonna be casualties.”
On Amad’s heroics, Ferdinand stated, “The new manager’s come in and I would go as far as to say he’s the first name on the sheet for this new manager and that’s a testament to this kid’s character.”
“His will to change the tide and swing against the current and say to people, no, no, you can’t leave me out. You can’t!”
“I might be small in stature but I got the biggest heart. I’m going to run, I’m going to work and then I’m going to make decisive, great decisions when I’ve got it, I’m going to impact the game.”
“With and without the ball, he’s been brilliant and I think he’s a real footballer. I don’t think that was ever in doubt, everyone could see the talent. But they just didn’t see the other side of him when you look at him.”
United are back in action on Thursday when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup.
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