Perhaps the most difficult pill for the United faithful to swallow is the evaporation of their divine right to the world's best players. The crest remains iconic, the history remains unmatched, but the gravitational pull of Old Trafford has weakened. Financially and structurally, United find themselves outgunned by state-backed enterprises and better-run European aristocrats. Ferdinand urges a painful, honest recalibration of what the club is capable of in the immediate future.
"Man United is a massive name and a massive club, doesn't mean you get the best players," said Rio. "One, the budget doesn't stretch that far now... you've got players going for 115 or whatever 120 mil, United blown out the water with them numbers, can't compete. So they're fishing in a different pond now. They're having to go and buy players that maybe might be the next rung or two down because they financially can't compete at that level now. Back in the day, Man United didn't have to sell themselves to no one and go, 'Oh, we've got Sir Alex Ferguson, we win trophies.' Sir Alex Ferguson said, 'Press the button on that player,' that player nine times out of 10 comes," he explained.
Acceptance, however, is not the same as surrender. For Ferdinand, the distinction between "expectations" and "standards" is the defining philosophy that will dictate whether Manchester United ever rises from the ashes. You can demand elite application without demanding an immediate Premier League title.
"Our expectations shouldn't be to win the league now. Our standards should be to win the league," Rio pointed out. "Our standards should be doing stuff that are going to get us to win the league. Right. But our expectations can't be right now or next year that we're going to win the league or we're competing to win the Champions League. It ain't that because realistically we're not there. So that's what I think people get it twisted where they say, 'Oh, you're lowering your standards.' No, I'm not. I've lowered my expectations. The standards need to remain higher to get us back there," Rio concluded.