Rio Ferdinand didn’t enjoy the last Manchester derby. No Manchester United fan did.
City’s fans olé’d their way through the final 15 minutes as hat-trick scorers Erling Haaland and Phil Foden squabbled over who would take home the match ball.
The post-Fergie era has been defined by sky blue success and red regret; never in the past decade has the chasm between the clubs appeared so vast.
Yet it is a mark of United’s rapid progress under Erik ten Hag that, three months on from that Etihad embarrassment – described by the Dutchman as both a “reality check” and a “lesson” – United can move just a point behind their rivals in the Premier League table by beating them at Old Trafford on Saturday.
With City rediscovering their City-ness against Chelsea in the FA Cup, it will be a tough challenge. But with United also riding high, it seems doable.
Ferdinand believes the “distance is a bit closer” between the clubs now than it was at the start of the season, but that there is still “work to be done” before United are operating on a similar plane to that of their city rivals.
Beating City in isolation would not signal the return of the glory days, but rather provide further evidence that the club is finally moving in an upward trajectory once more.
Here’s what he had to say about Ten Hag’s impact, Marcus Rashford’s form, Harry Maguire’s future and how he would go about stopping Erling Haaland.
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Ten Hag has been praised for his unflinching approach, particularly in regard to the Cristiano Ronaldo saga, getting a tune out of previously underperforming players and achieving encouraging results and performances. But United also enjoyed intermittent periods of success under Ten Hag’s predecessors, only for it to invariably fizzle out. How to be sure that this time is different?
“I think it’s too early to say, we have been here with previous managers when it looks like we are on to something. We have got to be patient and give the man time. These were a bunch of players that were quite low and they were shot to pieces and he has had to build not only footballers but men back up again.
“I think he is in a place now where the fact that he is now talking about qualifying for the Champions League so positively and putting markers down, he can sense a confidence coming back into this team. There is a consistency of performance from the team and individuals that wasn’t there before that he now believes and fills him with the confidence to speak about. The signs are all very promising. But they are still not where they want to be.”
Rashford’s form
Last season was easily the worst of Rashford’s career, evidenced by a meagre return of five goals in 32 appearances. At the (almost) halfway point of this campaign, he has already trebled that output. The goals are back and crucially, so too is the swagger. Rashford has 10 goals in his last 11 games for club and country and is arguably playing better than ever before.
“When you are not fit and playing with injury it is not a nice place to be. When you lose form while you are doing that it is even worse. He has been in that situation and was in the doldrums for a while. He seems to have come through that and got his confidence levels and fitness back, got a manager who is getting the best out of him and he is playing in a far more confident team.
“Man United have to keep him. He epitomises a lot of what is good about Manchester United when he is fit and on form. Whether it be from an academy perspective or whether it be from him being a local lad. But as a footballer, his talent is there for all to see. As long as he can keep producing consistently he is an absolutely massive asset to Manchester United.”
Handling Haaland
Premier League defences have struggled to come up with a plan to prevent Erling Haaland from wreaking havoc, with the Norwegian scoring a ludicrous 21 times in only 16 games.
Closing down City’s array of playmakers is the best way of keeping Haaland quiet, according to Ferdinand, who also believes United’s defenders should emulate Everton’s Ben Godfrey by trying to antagonise the striker. Within the laws of the game, of course.
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“What he’s doing at the moment is remarkable really, breaking records. You definitely would be focusing on him and making sure you try and stop him but I think as important is [cutting off] the supply line. He’s very different from an Mbappe who can get the ball on the halfway line and it could be a goal because he can beat three, four, five men – Haaland’s game isn’t about that. His game is about being on the end of opportunities, being provided by others.
“I watched that game and saw Ben Godfrey, who I know well, actually all over him trying to get under his skin, pushing him, shoving him and kicking him. Within the laws of the game that’s a good ploy because you could see Erling Haaland enjoys that but you’re affecting his concentration as well. Listen, he scored a goal but he wasn’t as impactful as he has been in previous games.”
Shaw’s redemption
Rashford’s performances have been most striking, but he isn’t alone in rediscovering his confidence and top form under Ten Hag. Luke Shaw is another who has impressed after initially losing his starting spot to summer signing Tyrell Malacia, and Ten Hag’s faith in him has been clear since the World Cup through his deployment as a left-sided centre back.
“Luke Shaw’s value has gone up since Erik ten Hag has come in. I think he has done really well there [at centre back]. I like him on the left of a three I think he has done brilliantly there for United. As a centre-back in a two I didn’t see that at all, but the manager has seen something, identified it and he has carried it out.
“We can all talk about height and presence and stature and physique but he has been cute enough not to get himself into any of those types of battles where he will be at a disadvantage and he has done really, really well.”
Maguire must go
Harry Maguire captained United to a 3-0 win against Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, but Ferdinand expects Raphael Varane to replace him and partner Lisandro Martinez against City. With perhaps even Shaw ahead of him in the pecking order, Ferdinand would be “gobsmacked” if the United captain wasn’t on the lookout for a move during the January transfer window.
“If I came back from a tournament and done well, hit a bit of form and confidence again, come back to my club where I’m captain, and the manager has said to me ‘Patrice Evra is playing centre-half – our only other first-choice centre-half isn’t fit but now we’re playing Patrice there,’ and I’m sitting here fit, I’d have to be asking questions and saying ‘this ain’t happening, you obviously don’t fancy me, I need to look for a new club, thank you’.
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“That isn’t me saying Harry is this or that. That’s just looking at the situation cold and saying that’s the way it has to play out. If Harry Maguire and his agent aren’t looking for a new club I’d be absolutely gobsmacked. I don’t see Harry Maguire at this stage of his career saying ‘I’m happy to be a squad player’. I can’t see Harry Maguire who starts for England and is Man United captain saying he’s happy to be sitting on the bench. I wouldn’t be able to understand that.”
Rashford would start for City
It’s derby day, so that means it is time to work out which players from both sides would start in an all-star XI in a hypothetical match that will never happen. On current form, Rashford is a shoo-in ahead of Phil Foden, but picking between Rodri and Casemiro is a more challenging task. Casemiro has defied the sceptics to make a significant impact at United and on the Premier League.
“On form, you have to say Marcus Rashford would have to be in the team. You’ve got to say Eriksen would be in with a shout, Bruno [Fernandes] would be in with a shout. Casemiro or Rodri is a massive one in terms of form. The two best holding midfielders in the league.
“Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane would have an argument to get in the team as well, so you could put a good case forward. The fact you can have an argument over four or five players getting into the team, or to have a conversation about it at least, is a step in the right direction.”
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