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Rio Ferdinand has insisted that it would be an embarrassment if Manchester City failed to qualify from the Champions League league phase after their ignominious defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.
Pep Guardiola’s side had grappled with a dominant host side in the French capital throughout the first-half, but managed to keep the scoresheet level after PSG had their would-be opener chalked off for offside.
Jack Grealish instead drew first blood minutes after being introduced in the second-half, with Erling Haaland putting the visitors 2-0 up by the 53rd minute.
But with a cushion established, it took moments for Man City to collapse, with PSG quickly hitting back through Ousmane Dembele.
A bright performance by young talent Bradley Barcola was burnished by his equaliser, with Joao Neves putting the home side ahead in the 78th minute – and Goncalo Ramos capping their misery with a fourth deep into added time.
Defeat on the road has left Man City outside of the play-off places and dependent on victory against Club Brugge next week to boost their chances of making the knockout stages.
Manchester City suffered an unedifying collapse against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday
The hosts had fallen two goals behind but after two lightning-quick equalisers PSG were in full control of the tie
Rio Ferdinand suggested that failure to make it out of the league phase would be embarrassing just two years after winning the competition
But were they to falter at the Etihad, Ferdinand stressed, the result would be a damning one.
‘100 percent (it would be a failure if they crashed out,’ Ferdinand shared on TNT Sports. ‘I think with all the success City have had in recent years, people expect them to get a minimum of knockout stages. I think they would take it as an embarrassment, I’m sure because they see themselves as a team that gets into the latter stages and have demanded that the last few years.
‘The manager looks deflated there and rightly so, they were 2-0 up and no matter what competition you are in you expect to see that out.
‘The inability to play Rodri in this game when you need to control moments and have authority they are missing that massively,’ the former Man United defender added.
Ferdinand also suggested that for all of Man City’s attempts to recapture their confidence amid a season laced with pitfalls, this loss could knock them back mentally.
‘They have been unbeaten in few games and saying the confidence is rebuilding again but we all know in football it can crumble quickly in one performance,’ Ferdinand continued.
‘A lot went wrong for City today and the confidence built in the last couple of weeks I think it will take a bit of a dent. This PSG team the way they came back from 2-0 down will be worrying for Pep.
Pep Guardiola cut a subdued figure in his interviews after the final whistle and will now have to find another solution for Man City’s myriad problems
‘I don’t think you can put it down to one thing, I think confidence is definitely something that has been sapped out of this team, but what I would say is when it starts becoming a trend, you can go a goal or two goals up, but in the back of your mind you’re thinking “what if?”.
‘And that’s when all of a sudden people even those you expect to be confident on the ball start taking too many touches, inviting pressure, and today they did that and were punished.’
Man City have lost eight points in the Champions League this season from winning positions, but a significant 14 in Premier League action.
The English champions will look to get back on their feet and attempt their assault on the top four in league action on Saturday, when Guardiola’s side welcome former assistant manager Enzo Maresca to the Etihad with his Chelsea side.
