TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand has now spoken out on what he believes to be an “added caveat that works against” Manchester United and Ruben Amorim.
The Red Devils were in Premier League action last Sunday and Manchester United secured a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth in the dying stages at the Vitality Stadium.
Following United’s Premier League result against Bournemouth in April, the Red Devils have already had to switch their attention to their Europa League campaign.
Ruben Amorim’s side will be in Europa League action in Bilbao on Thursday evening, with La Liga outfit Athletic Club hosting United at the San Mames Stadium.
United knocked Lyon out of the Europa League in dramatic fashion after the Red Devils staged a sensational 5-4 comeback win at Old Trafford in the quarter-finals.
The Red Devils punched their ticket to the Europa League semi-finals after United’s encounter with Lyon, while Athletic Club knocked Rangers out in the quarter-finals.
United need to win the Europa League if Amorim wants to ensure European football for the 2025-26 campaign and a place in the Champions League for next season.
The Europa League trophy would also allow Amorim to lift his first piece of major silverware as United manager after he left Sporting CP and arrived at United in 2024.
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Rio Ferdinand makes his feelings clear on Ruben Amorim and Man Utd’s Europa League semi-final encounter vs Athletic Club
Manchester United and Athletic Club’s first-leg Europa League semi-final tie is slated for an 8pm UK kick-off time at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.
The Red Devils will then host Athletic Club in the return leg at Old Trafford on 8th May and one of the two teams will punch their ticket to the final on 21st May.
Rio Ferdinand admitted that a major positive for United is that the Red Devils are playing away first in the Europa League semi-final instead of being at home.
“That’s an added caveat that works against Man United,” he told TNT Sports.
“The only positive for United in that sense is that the first game is away, because if it was a tight game and they had to come here [Bilbao]I wouldn’t be backing United in that sense.
“Man United need to be at least within a goal [after the first leg]. Worst case scenario, one goal behind, I’d still give us a good chance at home given what we saw in the last round.”
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Rio Ferdinand reveals what is ‘vital’ for Man Utd and what is needed for Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford
Ferdinand added that Amorim faces an uphill task at Old Trafford after the Red Devils’ woeful 2024-25 campaign and the recruitment in the summer is now “vital.”
“I don’t think anybody in the building wasn’t aware that there were issues still,” he explained.
“I don’t think anybody was fooled by the trophies that we’d won.
“Huge amounts [of work to do]pre-season will be a big plus, which the manager hasn’t had. The recruitment’s going to be vital.”
United or Athletic Club will face Bodo/Glimt or Tottenham in this season’s Europa League final at the San Mames Stadium in Spain.
