Man City did us favour by winning 6-1 at Old Trafford, claims Ferdinand

London: Manchester United centre back Rio Ferdinand believes that United’s 1-6 loss to Manchester City at Old Trafford was a blessing in disguise. He even labelled their loss to local rivals City at their home as the best thing that had happened to Manchester United last season.

“I’ll be honest, it pains me to say it, but it was probably one of the best things that happened to us,” said Ferdinand. “We were playing a very open kind of football. It made us sit back and think we’ve got to tighten up all over the pitch. If we do that, we have the players to exploit any other team when we go forward,” he added. He also maintained that there are more than a few good reasons that give Manchester United an edge over City in the title race. The Manchester clubs will face each other in a pulsating third-round FA Cup clash at the Etihad Stadium this Sunday, the Sun reports. Ferdinand will return after a three -match absence, as United will be keen to stay afloat with City on points in the league table by beating Newcastle at Sports Direct Arena. “Loads of things. I don’t like to say we’ve got this and you haven’t. It’s all about doing it. Many players in our squad have done things but this is the most important one,” he added after he was asked about the things which were in United’s favour. He also stressed that at Manchester United, it’s all about trying to create more history instead of just sitting back and remembering your previous history. “It’s not about remembering the past, it’s about trying to create more history and be a part of the history of this club,” he added. Bureau Report