“It’s a good benchmark for how to approach these things” – Rio Ferdinand feels Manchester United must emulate rivals when they face ‘bumps in the road’ under Ten Hag

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has urged the club to emulate rival clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool in dealing with setbacks as they look to bounce back under their new manager Erik ten Hag.

After going unbeaten in nine games across all competitions recently, Manchester United were beaten by Aston Villa 3-1 in the Premier League at the weekend.

Although Ferdinand admitted it was a bad result, the former Red Devils defender explained that the club must deal with the setback by trusting in the process and backing their manager just like Arsenal did with Mikel Arteta.

The Englishman said during the latest episode of his FIVE podcast:

"I was surprised. I've been walking around with a bit more of a spring in my step about Manchester United. I'd be saying we are coming back bit by bit. It was just a little punch in the ribs that we are not where we need to be yet, we have still got a way to go."

"The process what I'm seeing with this manager in terms of tactics and the way in that the team are playing, I'm feeling okay about it. Yeah, we have lost this week. But, in terms of the long-term picture, you have to trust the process and I talked about this the other day."

Ferdinand continued:

"Arsenal had a project and an idea of how they wanted things to go, but they understood after finding the manager, finding the right support team around him, that there would be bumps in the road."

"There are going to be moments where it goes off-piste, when the media and noise outside will be there. Then, it's whether they stay strong enough and believe in the project enough to stick by that person. Arsenal did and they are top. It's a good benchmark for how to approach these things."

The former Manchester United centre-back stressed his point by highlighting how Liverpool and Manchester City stuck with Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola respectively despite their humble start in the Premier League. Ferdinand added:

"You look at Pep [Guardiola] in his first year at City. It's the only year in his whole managerial career where he didn't win things, but they stayed patient, the same with Jurgen Klopp... How long did it take him to win things?"

"It tells you that you have to be patient, and you have to believe in the project. At the moment, if I'm honest, I'm on the side of believing in the project with Ten Hag. Yeah, it's a bad result and a bump in the road. But it shouldn't destabilize the project."

How Manchester United have fared under Erik ten Hag this season

Manchester United manager - Erik ten Hag.

Manchester United have recorded seven victories, two draws, and four defeats in 13 Premier League games since Ten Hag took charge at Old Trafford. As it stands, the Red Devils occupy the fifth position in the league table with 23 points in 13 games.

The Red Devils have also progressed to the playoff stage of the UEFA Europa League and will take on Barcelona for a chance to play in the round of 16.