Erik ten Hag's side extended their winless run to five matches with a goalless draw away to the in-form Aston Villa.
United will end the weekend in 14th place in the Premier League table with a goal difference of minus-three.
And Ferdinand insists he's 'struggling' to see an improvement from the Red Devils after their dismal campaign last season under Ten Hag.
'They're doing all they can to back him. Ashworth has only just gone in and he hasn't really had a window,' the former Tottenham striker said on Sky Sports.
Les ferdinand was critical of Manchester United after they continued their poor run of form
'He keeps talking about improvement but we're struggling to see that. At the moment United aren't the benchmark and they've fallen so far away from that.
'They're not getting above Tottenham and Brighton in comparison to their performance.'
This slow start to the 2024-25 campaign comes after United recorded their lowest finish in Premier League history last season, whenTen Hag's side ended up in eighth place.
The last time that United picked up eight points or fewer from their first seven league fixtures was in the 1989-90 season.
United had just seven points after seven games in September 1989 and they went on to finish 13th in the old First Division in what was Sir Alex Ferguson's fourth season at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag's side will have to wait until after the international break to get back on track when they host Brentford.