Departing FA chairman David Bernstein has hit out at Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.

The former England skipper sent out a series of tweets yesterday as the debate raged about whether the national side has gone backwards.

Ferdinand said: "In the last 10 years when have England played consistently well? A coaching strategy for our young kids needs to be implemented.

"In most Premier League teams retaining the ball is done best by foreign players - they are taught to pass to a man with a man on.

"So called 'Golden Generation' obviously wasn't golden because we won nothing! Great players don't always make great teams."

Bernstein, who is standing down to make way for new chairman Greg Dyke, said: "Rio should know we are putting a huge amount of work into youth development. It will produce results."