Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand says Manchester City could not ask for a better fixture up next in the build-up to their next battle with his former club and cross-city rivals, Manchester United.
Pep Guardiola's team have endured a torrid month-and-a-half, beating only Nottingham Forest as part of a 10-game run in all competitions. It is a rotten streak that has threatened the reigning Premier League champions' place in this year's title race.
They also teeter dangerously close to Champions League elimination at the league stage following their latest result - a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Juventus in Turin on Wednesday night.
"You can’t be as successful as they’ve been and not be able to get back on track. They must be able to because you can’t be that far ahead of everybody else and to be caught up, taken over and be in everyone’s slipstream now. It can’t be right," Ferdinand commented after that game on TNT Sports.
Next on the list for Man City, they welcome local rivals Man United to the Etihad Stadium for the latest edition of the Manchester derby.
It hasn't been pretty on the other side of the city this season either, as manager Erik ten Hag was dismissed only 13 matches into the campaign. Ruben Amorim was installed permanently in his place, and since his arrival from Sporting CP the club have been getting to grips with a new system, drawing their first game, winning their next two before entering a current two-game losing streak.
"They couldn’t ask for a better game than the one that is coming at the weekend, by the way. The Manchester derby against Manchester United, if they want to get themselves back on track," Ferdinand added, clearly not confident about his former side's chances.
"It won’t reinstall every bit of confidence and it won’t paper over all the cracks, but it’ll go a huge way to reinvigorating this team and squad if they were to get a result. But, I am backing the mighty Reds, who are in great form as well, by the way," he added with a hint of sarcasm and a tentative laugh.
"It’s the battle of no confidence, innit?"