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Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has shared his thoughts on Manchester City's terrible form this season. He highlighted how some big names have creaked under pressure and manager Pep Guardiola will learn about his players during this phase.
The Cityzens, who have won the last four Premier League titles, have just one win in their last 10 games across competitions. They lost 2-0 against Juventus at the Allianz Stadium in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, December 11. Dusan Vlahovic (53') and Weston McKennie (75') secured the win for the hosts.
After the game, Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand spoke about what young players can learn from Manchester City's form on TNT Sports.
"We haven't seen a Pep Guardiola side ever be this bad," Ferdinand said (via Eurosport). "He's got to find a way of galvanising this team. It doesn't matter what you've done, anyone can lose confidence and it can really hurt performance and outcomes.
"City fans will be disappointed and Pep and his players will want to improve this, but this is something for young players to look at and see. Players that are put on a pedestal can crack and creak at moments like this. The best players can feel like this," he added.
"There's a positive for other people to take, but for City there's a lot of work behind the scenes now. You're going to find out a lot about the players now. It's a nice ride when it's going well, but who's going to help get you back to normality when it's not going well? Pep will learn a lot about his players," Ferdinand concluded.
Manchester City are 22nd in the UEFA Champions League table, five points away from the top 8 with just two games remaining in the league phase.
Manchester City set to face Manchester United in Ruben Amorim's first Manchester Derby
Amidst their terrible form, Manchester City will next host city rivals Manchester United at the Etihad in the Premier League on Sunday, December 15. They will be desperate to win that game, not just for the three points, but also for a potential confidence boost.
The Cityzens are fourth in the Premier League table, eight points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. They drew 2-2 against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in their last match.
Manchester United, meanwhile, are 13th in the table, eight points behind City. They lost 3-2 against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford in their previous match. The Red Devils will also face Viktoria Plzen away in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, December 12, giving them a day less than City to prepare.
Manchester United notably beat Manchester City 2-1 in the FA Cup final last season but lost on penalties in the FA Community Shield in August.
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Edited by Aditya Singh