Rio Ferdinand responds as Chris Moyles blasts ‘shocking’ Leeds United on Radio X
Rio Ferdinand has responded to Chris Moyles’ claims that Leeds United have been defensively “shocking” and have “fallen apart” live on Radio X.
During Moyles’ morning show on 13 May [03h 22m], the broadcaster said his team Leeds have faltered since the March international break.
Daniel Farke’s side lost four of their last six regular-season Championship fixtures to drop into the play-offs, in which they are now competing against Norwich City.
Ferdinand, who played at Elland Road for two years in the Premier League before becoming a legend at bitter rivals Manchester United, retorted that systems now override individuals which alters levels of form and success.
Moyles exclaimed: “Leeds United have been shocking since the international break.
“Awful defensively, and have just fallen apart. Why, after the break, do we come back and we’re like the Stevie Wonder XI?!
“Gnonto, Summerville – they’re not scoring or performing after playing so well.”
Ferdinand responded: “The structure teams have now – it all matters so much more.
“Systems now override all individuals. That’s why you don’t see as many free, creative-looking players as you did back in the day – the Le Tissier, Zola or Bergkamp of this world.”
Can Leeds United recover from their slump in time?
Leeds have now reached a point whereby 90 minutes is the timeframe in which to salvage their season.
To bow out in the Championship play-off semi-finals after spending much of the campaign in the automatic promotion places is a sickener for supporters.
And not least for the board, who invested on the playing side considerably, with a record fee for Georginio Rutter who has performed excellently at this level, but was bizarrely played out of position in Sunday’s goalless first leg.
To run out of steam in the final six matches of the season and then return to a mindset of regrouping and getting promoted in such a short space of time is an unenviable task.
An anxiety-ridden but electric atmosphere around Elland Road will beckon and separates an out-of-sorts Leeds from Wembley – and Norwich will know that they can crack some very thin ice with a hustling and confident start to the second leg themselves.
In other Leeds news, a loanee has issued a public apology on social media.
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