“You get what you deserve” - Rio Ferdinand reacts to Manchester United’s 'criminal' Champions League exit

Former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand has criticized his old club following their humiliating group-stage exit from the Champions League.

The Red Devils were beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich on Tuesday in their final group fixture to finish at the bottom of Group A, missing out on Europa League football too.

Erik ten Hag's side came into the fixture knowing that a win was imperative to keep their progression hopes alive, but Kingsley Coman dashed them with a strike in the 70th minute.

Ferdinand, who had won the Champions League with United in 2008, was disappointed with his former side's early exit from the competition, as he emphasized their poor defense.

He told TNT Sports (via Eurosport):

“Very disappointing to say the least. You look at that group when it came out, you would have expected Manchester United to go through, but to score three goals in each of your away games and come away with the points they did was criminal."

“When you score that many goals in the group stages, I think they’ve scored 12 and conceded 15 goals, that’s the problem there. Basketball football – you attack, we attack and see who comes out on top. You get what you deserve if you’re not clinical. If you can’t close matches out, you don’t deserve to progress to the knockout stages.”

Manchester United, who lost 3-0 to Bournemouth at home last weekend, were second-best for much of the opening stanza as Bayern threw the kitchen sink. Things improved early on after the break as the hosts showed more urgency and aggression that saw their mighty visitors struggle to keep possession for a while.

However, the Red Devils weren't able to keep that up for long, and Coman broke the deadlock in the 70th minute with a cool finish. For the second time in their last three appearances, United were knocked out in the Champions League group stages.

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Every game is a new low for Manchester United

Manchester United seem to make several unwanted records with every defeat. Last weekend, Bournemouth won at the Old Trafford for the first time in their history. Now, the side wrapped up their worst Champions League campaign since the 2005-06 season.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. The Red Devils have seen a few more disappointing results this season, and more could be on the way, with Liverpool, West Ham, and Aston Villa all coming up next in the Premier League.

In the meantime, Erik ten Hag's position looks increasingly uncertain, as the Dutchman has been unable to anchor the sinking ship. At this rate, he may not survive in the job for long.