Vidic hits back at Ferdinand critics
Nemanja Vidic has offered his support to Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand and insists the defender is still going strong.
Ferdinand, who turned 33 on Monday, is facing a fight to re-establish his status as a first-choice player for both club and country, but Vidic believes the former England captain showed his quality in United's 1-0 win over Sunderland.
"When you look at what has happened to Rio over the last few weeks, we have to remember this is a player who played in most of the big games last season, helped us win the Premier League title and reach the Champions League final, and yet after one game people are saying he is not good enough anymore," Vidic said in the Guardian.
"I think this is wrong and Rio showed that [against Sunderland]. Sometimes when you have been at the top a long time like Rio has, people judge you on your age and they are waiting for one bad game to say: 'Oh, he's finished.'
"But the way Rio played was the perfect way to show he is not finished. He showed strength of character. He showed he still has the quality and ability to play at the top level. He showed class, he showed determination, as well as his ability to help the players around him."
The Sunderland game, in which former United defender Wes Brown's opening goal gifted United all three points on the anniversary of Sir Alex Ferguson's arrival at Old Trafford, was the first time since the opening weekend of the season that Ferdinand and Vidic played together.
"Rio had a great game," Vidic added ."I think his experience is important, especially when you have young players in the team and the defence is changing all the time. I just hope Rio stays fit because he is a player who can help the young players." [Soccernet.espn.go.com]