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http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16425183.stm

Mark Lawrenson believes that the loss of the injured Nemanja Vidic has forced Manchester United to rely too heavily on the ageing Rio Ferdinand.

Ferdinand, 33, has played 13 of United's 20 league games this season.

He and Phil Jones were given a torrid time by Demba Ba and Shola Ameobi in Wednesday's 3-0 defeat at Newcastle.

"Rio is coming slowly towards the end of his career. But the biggest problem is that Vidic is not playing," Lawrenson told BBC Sport.

"He is the rock and I do not believe, if he had been playing at Newcastle, Demba Ba would have been so spectacular. Newcastle's strikers terrorised Jones and Ferdinand.

Because there is no-one else available, he is having to play every match. It is a simple fact that he is much nearer to the end of his career than the start.

"I am not saying for one second he is finished because, as you get older and your pace goes, you get wiser. The problem at Manchester United is that you are playing against some players who are seriously rapid.

"The difficulty United have with Rio is getting him fit and keeping him fit and you do take longer to recover as you get older."

"But the one player United did not want to get a long-term injury was Vidic.

"You cannot underestimate the difference it makes to United, or the difference it would make to any side, to be without a player like Vidic. It was a massive blow.

"To be fair, the problems were not just in defence on Wednesday. It was a very impotent Manchester United we saw at Newcastle and a very poor performance."