Nemanja Vidic says losing to Manchester City on derby
day may, in retrospect, have yielded a number of positives.
While the Serbian centre-back says February's defeat
was hard to stomach, he admits it “came at the right time”.
“Look at us now,” Vidic told Manchester United
Radio. “We’re playing better than ever and we’re only
point behind Arsenal in the league. I think losing to City was a
wake-up call and helped us realise that if we don’t play to our
best then we won’t necessarily win.”
Since that loss, United have chalked up four victories and a draw
in Europe away from home. The team have closed the gap at the top
of the Barclays Premier League to just one point, qualified for the
quarter finals of the Champions League and now face Portsmouth in
the FA Cup sixth round.
“We’re doing well right now and I hope we’ll keep this momentum
going,” Vidic says.
“I want to play in the big games and win trophies; that’s why I’m
at Manchester United. Every game is crucial now and it’s important
we keep our shape and don’t lose too many goals.”
Keeping it tight has been a major feature of United’s play this
season and Vidic’s partnership with Rio Ferdinand has widely been
hailed as the best in the league.
Even so, 26 year-old Vidic says there’s no room for
complacency.
“You can always get better and Rio and I are always looking for
ways to improve. If something happens in training and we find
ourselves in a situation we’re not familiar with, we’ll discuss it
and try and sort it out. If you want to play well then you must be
willing to work hard and improve.”