Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United forwards Antony and Jadon Sancho to follow Sir Alex Ferguson’s advice by taking more risks in their performances.
Signed in back-to-back summer windows from Ajax and Borussia Dortmund respectively, Antony and Sancho cost United over £150million combined. However, while they have both shown glimpses of their unquestioned ability, neither man has shone consistently.
Antony and his topsy-turvy displays have particularly come under the microscope this season, despite scoring hugely important goals against Arsenal and Barcelona for example. Sancho, meanwhile, recently returned from a three-month absence to attend to his physical and mental wellbeing.
Speaking about Antony on his FIVE podcast, Ferdinand said: “I think if he looks at his game, he could sit there with a crystal ball from before the season started and go; ‘I’m not where I want to be and I’m not doing what I thought I would be doing right now’.
“Yeah he has scored a couple of important goals here and there, but if he was honest with himself he would say there is still more to come from him. We have to be patient as a fan-base with that and not everyone hits the ground running.
Rio Ferdinand wants Antony and Jadon Sancho to take more risks (Image: YouTube (FIVE podcast))
“How many players after their first year would you think to get rid of them? But that’s the one part of his and Sancho’s game that needs to improve moving forward, taking risks.”
Ferdinand added: “You don’t get anything in this game without taking risks. You don’t win trophies and have success without taking risks. Sir Alex Ferguson always used to tell his players he bought them to take risks, do something different, win games in the moment.”
