Manchester United players are too afraid to express themselves and are going backwards under manager Louis van Gaal, according to former defender Rio Ferdinand.
Van Gaal has been criticised for his defensive style of play but the under-pressure Dutchman has showed no signs of swaying from his rigid approach despite the club's five-match winless run.
"Players are playing it safe because they are afraid of the consequences if they try to take chances," Ferdinand told the Sun.
"Manchester United are going backwards again and I don't see that changing because the manager will not change.
"They have to be allowed to express themselves."
Ferdinand added: "Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti will be available this summer and the question is will they be able to do a better job than Van Gaal.
"The board and owners might want to be loyal to Van Gaal after investing so much in him but they also have to do what is best for United.
"And if United finish outside the top four, that will be catastrophic.
"It might rule out the chance of getting either Guardiola or Ancelotti.
"It will be more difficult to attract the best players, too. The next six months are absolutely crucial."
