Manchester United have been on a fine run of form in recent weeks and Rio Ferdinand has pinpointed three players who have been key to the upturn in results
Rio Ferdinand has branded Bryan Mbeumo a "joke"
Rio Ferdinand has branded Bryan Mbeumo a "joke"(Image: YouTube/Rio Ferdinand Presents)
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Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has branded Bryan Mbeumo a "joke" after Ruben Amorim's side went five games undefeated over the weekend.
United were minutes away from losing their streak against Tottenham on Saturday before Matthijs de Ligt saved the day with a 96th-minute equaliser.
Ferdinand has largely attributed United's turn of form to their summer transfer window spend. The club spent £170m over the summer bringing in a host of squad reinforcements
Mbeumo is one of those summer acquisitions, arriving from Brentford, and he looks to have adapted effortlessly with Ferdinand describing him as amongst the division's finest wingers.
"Mbeumo has been a joke," Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel. "He's really stepped in there and become a mainstay. He's someone who can give you two or three seconds on the ball to relieve pressure. He can score important goals and create chances.
Bryan Mbeumo
Bryan Mbeumo has scored six goals since joining Man United
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"I saw Thomas Frank's comments about him the other day and Mbeumo nearly being a complete winger. I think by the end of this season, he'll be one of the most complete wingers in the Premier League because he can do everything. He just needs to consistently do it in a United shirt."
Ferdinand also stated that United's recent improvement in results can partly be attributed to Senne Lammens' impressive beginning at Old Trafford after claiming the number one spot from Altay Bayindir. The young goalkeeper arrived as a relatively unknown prospect during the summer when United were evaluating their goalkeeping options, with chief goalkeeping scout Tony Coton advocating for his signing.
Andre Onana entered the campaign with doubts surrounding his performances whilst Bayindir had similarly failed to convince. Onana was unexpectedly allowed to depart, moving to Turkey on loan, and Amorim placed his faith in Lammens.
The Belgian has made a strong impression, recording a clean sheet on his debut against Sunderland and also contributing to the side's long-awaited victory at Anfield.
He continued: "You can't talk about anyone being our most important player without mentioning the goalkeeper. It's no coincidence we've had an upturn in form. We've got a goalkeeper that it seems all the players trust."
Following United's late equaliser against Spurs, the ex-United defender also had positive words for De Ligt. He added: "I think Matthijs de Ligt has been our best defender this season, he's been outstanding for us. He's even adding goals – with the last-minute one the other day [against Tottenham].
"His pressing, his assertiveness and his willingness to go into foreign areas up the pitch to defend at the right times has been good. Clearing out of the box, he has been brilliant."
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