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.”