Manchester United Champions League winner Rio Ferdinand says the current players are struggling with the pressure of playing for the fallen giants.

Defeat at Newcastle leaves United in 14th place on the Premier League table.

And Ferdinand believes the players are wilting under the pressure of performing for United.

"You find out a lot about players when the pressure is on," Ferdinand said on his podcast Rio Presents. "And the pressure is like no other club in the premier league at Man United.

"People won't like hear that, but it's a fact. There's a big responsibility on your shoulders given the history, the history is big, and some of these players don't look like they're ready to shoulder that and carry that.

"It's become a burden for those players, rather than a privilege. They've got to get away from that. That's got to be their focus, their fire, because of the circumstances at the club."

Ferdinand continued: "I feel for them, I do feel sorry for them. I was very lucky, i came into a great culture, a winning mentality, a winning club.

"I ran into Mason Mount's dad, and said, 'it's a big club isn't it?' I know, (they) grew up with Chelsea - and he went, you know you see someone and he went (imitates awe), 'yeah, wow, it's a massive club'.

"It's hard to put it into words how big and heavy and how much responsibility goes into playing for this club. And that's not an excuse for these players, you just know what it's like."

On the current form, Ferdinand didn't hold back: "I wouldn’t be able to show my face (if that was the case for me). I wouldn’t be able to come out of the house.

"The way I used to feel about just losing or drawing a game, I would be really embarrassed.

"I’d be working hard and I know they are. I speak to guys at the club, they’re working really hard but at the moment that ain’t enough and I don’t know what they have to do."