Rio Ferdinand Sparks Outrage with Reaction to Manchester United's Carabao Cup Win

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has created controversy by seeming to belittle the club's 2023 Carabao Cup victory in a recent interview with Cristiano Ronaldo. The incident occurred during an interview on Ferdinand's YouTube channel "Vibe with FIVE," where he was discussing Manchester United's current state with his former teammate.

During the discussion, Ronaldo-who left United back in late 2022 after a very public falling out with manager Erik Ten Questioned whether the club was still capable of competing at the very top level. "They can win Carabao," Ronaldo said, and by this stage, Ferdinand was visibly laughing, appearing to poke fun at the importance of the trophy.

Until February 2023, the Carabao Cup triumph at Wembley against Newcastle United was Manchester United's first piece of silverware in nearly six years. That win, at the time, was heralded as a possible turning point for the club under Ten Hag. Since then, disappointment in the Premier League and European competition has somewhat dampened enthusiasm around Old Trafford.

Ronaldo went on to raise doubts about United's immediate future, saying, "I believe that the future will be bright. But that doesn't depend only on the talent. It's more than that. It is not only players but the entire club, everything has to be united. They have to rebuild from the bottom. If not, they can't compete."

The Portuguese superstar further explained, "It will be impossible. Yes, they can win Carabao, but I mean Champions League or Europa League or Premier League-difficult. I wish that I was wrong. But it will be difficult."

Ferdinand's response to Ronaldo's remarks almost bordered on disrespect towards the current manager, Ten Hag, who has not had an easy ride since he assumed the reins at Old Trafford. The Dutch boss came close to being sacked at the end of last season after his team finished in a poor eighth place in the Premier League, but a surprise victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final saved him.

Even with the support of new minority shareholders INEOS and a raft of high-profile signings over the summer, Manchester United has gotten off to a poor start this campaign. The Red Devils suffered defeats in two of their opening three matches in the Premier League, and already doubts are being raised over whether Ten Hag can restore the club to its former glories.

With United set to take on Southampton next in the Premier League, Ten Hag will seek seriously to shut his critics up with more significant success. There is growing pressure on the manager for better results and better performances, especially since the club is due to compete in the Europa League this term.

Ferdinand's perceived belittling of the Carabao Cup triumph only puts further pressure on the Dutch manager. A respected ex-player and leading pundit, Ferdinand's thoughts on matters carry loads of weight among United followers. His dismissive attitude toward what many hailed as a good start to Ten Hag's beginning may contribute further to dwindling belief in the manager's long-term project.

As this season meanders on, eyes will be firmly set on Old Trafford to see if Ten Hag can reverse that trend and prove that last season's Carabao Cup triumph marked the beginning of a successful rebuild, rather than a minor footnote in another disappointing era for the once-dominant club.