Leny Yoro had a moment to forget against Crystal Palace as his error led to Man Utd getting stunned early, and Rio Ferdinand has now shared the inside story of what happened thereafter.
In the absence of Lisandro Martinez, Leny Yoro has been thrust into the spotlight alongside Harry Maguire as a just reward for his performances off the bench.
After a fairly good game against Everton, however, Yoro took a step back as he allowed Maxence Lacroix space to head in Palace’s opener at Old Trafford.
Yoro eventually recovered to have an average game as Man Utd turned it around to win 2-1, but he’s receiving special attention behind the scenes now, as per Rio Ferdinand.
Jorgen Strand Larsen of Crystal Palace and Leny Yoro of Manchester United F.C. battle for a ball during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on March 1, 2026
Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images
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Rio Ferdinand on Man Utd working with Leny Yoro now
Because Yoro was brought for such a huge fee and almost marketed as a massive coup and a marquee signing, some perspective has been lost.
He was still a teenager when he arrived at Old Trafford, had to tackle an injury issue almost upon arrival, and played in a squad that put in back-to-back worst PL seasons in its history.
Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see him have growing pains in his development, and the Palace game was another example of the same.
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His error was pretty blatant, and Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel after the game that United recognised it and gave him special attention.
He said: “The thing for me that I’m hearing now is that they will be going over that goal. That goal will be dissected by Jonathan Woodgate and Jonny Evans. This is where you went wrong; this is how you prevent it from happening next time.
“That’s an important factor I’m hearing coming out of the current regime.”
Rio Ferdinand has always urged patience with Leny Yoro
“He’s a student of the game, he sees his mistakes, he acknowledges his mistakes and he tries to learn from those mistakes.”
Rio Ferdinand
Michael Carrick’s coaching staff adds another feather
Much has been said about what an ideal working setup Man Utd have stumbled upon with Michael Carrick and his staff, and their handling of Yoro after the Palace game is another feather in their cap.
In Woodgate and Evans, they have two defensive experts who are the perfect mentors for the likes of Yoro, Ayden Heaven, or even wonderkids like Godwill Kukonki and Jayden Ngwashi.
The attacking synergy is worked upon by Travis Binnion, who is working wonders with Benjamin Sesko, while Steve Holland puts it all together in a solid foundation.
Carrick at the head of the table stitches every department with his leadership and man-management, and it all combines to work like a well-oiled machine.
Yoro will undoubtedly feel grateful to the staff for helping him develop through growing pains.
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