Rio Ferdinand has urged Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to take struggling Manchester United captain Harry Maguire out of the firing line.
Maguire, 27, has endured a miserable start to the new season and was sent off during England’s Nations League defeat to Denmark on Wednesday.
Manchester United face Newcastle this weekend and Red Devils legend Ferdinand has suggested it may be best if Maguire is rested.
‘In these situations – that I’ve been in as well – you sometimes need to be taken out of the oven,’ Ferdinand said.
‘[Manchester United manager] Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] has a big job on his hands and I think quite an important role to play in this.
‘Whether maybe it’s time to give him a little rest, let him gather himself and build that confidence back up.
‘I got brought off in one game, I think it was Middlesbrough away, the manager [Sir Alex Ferguson] spoke to me and said “get yourself back to basics, train well and you’ll come back in”.
‘That’s what happened and I was fine. It’s just sometimes that bit of pressure being taken out that can actually help you.’
Ferdinand, who won six Premier League titles during his time at Manchester United, added: ‘When you’re going game-to-game every three or four days, it’s very hard to see through the fog.
‘But when you’re taken out of the firing line, you get time to sit back and actually analyse yourself, your performance, your preparation, your recovery – all aspects of what goes around a football match or 90 minutes.
‘It might sound silly but that’s the way I used to look at it when I was lacking a little bit of confidence. Because at the moment you’re being seen for all the wrong reasons.’
Manchester United were thrashed 6-1 by Tottenham before the international break and are currently 16th in the Premier League.
