Rio Ferdinand tells Sir Jim Ratcliffe three things to sort at Man Utd after Arsenal defeat

Sir Jim Ratrcliffe has received word on how to improve Manchester United - and it comes from one who would know.

Rio Ferdinand lifted six Premier League titles, one Champions League trophy and two League Cups during a glittering career at Old Trafford. So it stands to reason the former England defender would be a dab hand when it comes to spotting winning traits around the club.

And after seeing his old side descend to a 1-0 defeat at home to league leaders Arsenal on Sunday, Ferdinand gave an impassioned plea to bring about change. And that came with several suggestions for new minority owner Ratcliffe and his team to keep an eye out for.

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Speaking on the latest episode of his Vibe with FIVE podcast, the 45-year-old said: "That's one of the things I think the club has got to look at, what's going on behind the scenes: the training, the way the players are around the place [and] what's the atmosphere like in the changing rooms and [around] the training ground?

"Because there's a lot to be said for that. If it ain't right around the training ground, invariably it ain't gonna be right on the pitch."

If it wasn't already obvious just the scale of the task awaiting Ratcliffe this summer, United's first home defeat since February served to highlight it. The Arsenal defeat came less than a week after Erik ten Hag's men suffered a 4-0 humiliation at Crystal Palace, with the club suddenly down to eighth in the standings.

Ten Hag, 54, enjoyed an encouraging first season at the United helm but has overseen a considerable drop in standards over the course of this season. To make matters worse, the extent of United's infrastructure issues were exposed when major rainfall in Manchester led to a downpour inside Old Trafford on Sunday.

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Ferdinand was often hailed for his leadership skills throughout his career and will have become accustomed to spotting the hallmarks of a team doing things right. And it's perhaps a sad reality that the lack of those same calling cards may help identify where United's current squad is going wrong when it comes to off-field preparations.