Fans were upset with the team’s latest winless outing, which wasn’t helped when a gleeful Ferdinand took to X after the match. Posting to his 10.6 million followers, the ex-United star posted a photo of him looking sad and then another where he looked happy.

The pictures were captioned: “From this to THIS!!! Carrick time!!!!!!!!!! Birthday weekend just got tad better in the last 6 minutes… #MUFC.” With another adding: “No better way to lose weight & get more grey hair than watching a Utd game recently (hiding eyes emoji).”

United fans weren’t having it though, with many unhappy about his upbeat tone at a time when the club finds itself in crisis. @UTDKarra wrote on X: “You’re part of the problem.”

@upsdwnwrld quoted him by saying: “Carrick time,” alongside a photo of United in the relegation zone.

@lfcAmirV2 said: “Rio brev have you lost your mind,” this time with an accompanying photo showing United conceding the most goals in Europe’s major leagues this season.

@utdAdams went as far as saying: “I am so desperate for change at this club. The biggest being the complete disassociation with Fergie, his disciples and the class of 92. Before cretins get the wrong idea, I’m not talking about erasing history. It’s just time for us to enter new era and to create a new culture.”

While @Gerry_Deakin went as far as suggesting he was a Glazers-INEOS sympathiser: “We're in the relegation zone you Glineos puppet.”

United return to action after the international break with a tricky assignment away to Liverpool. After that, it’s back to Champions League action, this time away to Sporting in Lisbon.