Rio Ferdinand praises 'outstanding' Man Utd star, he's improved because he's stopped doing one thing

Rio Ferdinand knows a thing or two about winning big games against Arsenal from his time at Manchester United.

The Reds beat Arsenal on penalties in the FA Cup third round on Sunday, with Altay Bayindir taking the headlines for his heroic penalty saves at the Emirates.

Manchester United have booked their place in the next round of the competition, which will see them host Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City.

Ruben Amorim had a very clear game plan for the game – to defend as a unit, frustrate Arsenal, and hit them on the counter-attack. It was evident when Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring in the second half.

However, referee Andrew Madley made a big call minutes later when he sent off Diogo Dalot for a second bookable offence. Arsenal won a penalty three minutes later, and Bayindir saved it.

Arsenal eventually equalised through a deflected strike but United continued to dig deep and hung on until the end.

United’s defenders earned praise for their strong display at the back.

Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

Rio Ferdinand hails Harry Maguire

Harry Maguire is enjoying his football under Amorim.

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The England international has found a way back into the United first team, despite fears he’d fallen down the pecking order following the arrivals of Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro in the summer.

United have even decided to trigger Maguire’s contract extension, keeping him at Old Trafford until at least 2026.

Former United centre-back Rio Ferdinand was quick to praise Maguire after United’s FA Cup win over Arsenal, pointing out one element of his game that has improved.

“Harry Maguire again, he was outstanding in the centre of that back three,” Ferdinand said on Rio Ferdinand Presents.

“He was dominating in individual duels, he looked composed.

“What he isn’t doing, it seems now, he’s not questioning himself.”

Ruben Amorim helps restore Maguire’s self-belief

Perhaps the biggest positive from Amorim’s time so far is that our players are starting to believe in themselves again.

Amorim won’t be given funds to splurge in the January transfer window, so he must work with what he has available to him.

One player who has worked his way into the team is Maguire, making 18 appearances for the Reds this season.

Ferdinand believes Maguire is playing better because he is now playing under a manager who believes in him.

He added: “He’s got a manager who gives him a bit of belief, bit of confidence, and what that does for a player, any player, some good communication behind the scenes, does so much.”

Of course, this will likely raise questions about Erik ten Hag and whether he stripped players of confidence by not believing in them.

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