Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has named goalkeeper David de Gea as the only player that he would "go to war with" following the Reds' humiliating 4-1 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.
Despite producing an encouraging and spirted first-half showing, despite being 2-1 down at the interval, United were outclassed in the second-half. They failed to get a foothold in possession and watched City pass the ball around them with ease.
Following Riyad Mahrez's first goal of the contest to make it 3-1 with just over 20 minutes to go, United, ultimately, downed tools and allowed City to dictate the game without an ounce of pressure being applied. The 'ole's rang out from the home fans to rub further salt into United's gaping wounds.
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The latter stages of the contest provided clear evidence about the attitudes of several United players, who were quite happy to let City knock the ball around at their pleasure. For Ferdinand, it provided a clear account of what the Reds' players are like when they've got their backs to the wall.
Ferdinand told Vibe with Five: "In the first half we could say that Man United were in the game, but in the last 20 minutes, as Roy Keane said on Sunday, and it was very true, we found out about players when the chips are down.
"We found out what they're really made of and what it is like when players are down and out almost on their knees. Who has the character?
"Who can you look in the eye and go: 'I still want to go to war with this guy? Maybe not it has not happened for us today, quality-wise, or with missed chances, but I know that geezer will work with me and work for me and make sure that we get by someway or somehow through perseverance or hard work.'"
Directly asked which members of United's squad he would still wish to fight alongside in pursuit of success, Ferdinand continued: "After that 20 minutes I wouldn't think of many names. David de Gea, maybe, but it is different if you're a goalkeeper in that situation.
"Nobody covered themselves in glory. No one, out of the players that stepped on that football pitch in the last 20 minutes [covered themselves in glory]."
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