Ferdinand explains what Man United are missing under interim boss Rangnick

Former footballer Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United need a strong manager.

The Red Devils have struggled with consistency under interim boss Ralf Rangnick. In 16 matches under the German tactician, they have picked up only eight wins, drawing six times. They have also exited the FA Cup following a defeat on penalties (7-8) against Middlesbrough in the fourth round.

Several reasons have been provided for the club's struggles, with some pundits pointing to the players' inability to carry out Rangnick's playing style.

However, Ferdinand feels his former club need a stronger manager. He told BT Sport after Manchester United's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League (as quoted by the Daily Mail):

"Managers are important. I didn't think that until Sir Alex left, you could see the manager had run the place from top to bottom and set the tone, set the culture, the philosophy."

The former centre-back added that the entire squad is influenced by the path set by the manager, stating:

"Everything drives from the manager and filters down from him. United are missing that, they need someone to come in and be strong. That dressing room has seen-off far too many managers for it not to have a strong manager go in there to deal with the personalities and to really break it down to people."

Ferdinand added that Rangnick needed to sit down with some of his players and have some "tough conversations." He concluded:

"Say to some: you might not be as good as you think you are, can you do what I want you to do? If you can't I'll find someone else. They're tough conversations but the best managers have them and they're comfortable at it."

Manchester United held by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League

Manchester United entered the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash against Atletico Madrid last night (February 23) with confidence. The Red Devils had picked up two important victories in the Premier League prior to the game (against Brighton & Hove Albion and Leeds United).

However, Rangnick's men were physically dominated by their Spanish opponents throughout the contest. Atletico took the lead after just seven minutes when Renan Lodi whipped in an excellent cross, which was headed in by Joao Felix. They also hit the crossbar close to half-time when Sime Vrsaljko's header took a deflection off Victor Lindelof.

Manchester United did well to rally back and find a leveler through substitute Anthony Elanga in the 80th minute. However, it was Diego Simeone's side who came closest to scoring again when Antoine Griezmann hit the bar with a curler.

Overall, the Red Devils will be a little disappointed with the result considering Atletico's struggles this season. They will have plenty of work to do in the second leg at Old Trafford set to take place on March 15.