Anton Ferdinand has said that Manchester City’s system may be leaving Ruben Dias “exposed” at the moment.
The pundit pinpointed how Dias has not been at his all-conquering best and analysed how the team’s setup may be exposing his flaws on FIVE’s YouTube channel.
After City’s 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace, Janusz Michallik claimed that the 26-year-old is “struggling” with his form this season.
Anton Ferdinand says Manchester City’s system may have “exposed” struggling Ruben Dias
Earlier this month, Tony Cascarino hailed the Portuguese international as “outstanding” but went on to describe his performances this campaign as “average.”
Recently, it seems like the three-time Premier League winner’s displays have stirred conversation amongst many due to the Sky Blues’ ongoing defensive woes.
Anton Ferdinand broke down how the tactical setup at Manchester City may be hindering Ruben Dias this season.
“The big problem is at centre-back, you know? Even though they’ve looked okay, Ruben Dias looks like he needs a John Stones next to him. He hasn’t looked as solid this year”, he told FIVE on their YouTube channel.
When quizzed about the best centre-back partnership at City, Ferdinand replied, “Dias and Stones for me.”
“I like him [Manuel Akanji] as well but Ruben’s like, when he’s at it, there’s not many better than him in the Premier League.”
“We say this a lot on here when we talk about defending. Defenders don’t like feeling vulnerable. You know, there’s too many gaps, too many spaces, don’t like it. To play in that Man City team with that overload in the midfield, you’re going to feel exposed because if the turnover happens and the team you’re playing against is good on the turnover with their first pass, you’re in trouble.”
Anton Ferdinand also said that because Ruben Dias does not have the best injury record, the system in place at Manchester City may be a huge challenge for him to play in currently.
“There’s no getting away from it, you’re in trouble. Dias may be feeling the pressure in terms of feeling exposed and as we know, his injury record isn’t brilliant either. When you’re being asked to sprint towards your own goal more than you’re used to, it could be a problem for you and that could be what’s playing on his mind, we don’t know.”
Ruben Dias must play as a left-sided centre-back at all times
In our view, what Anton Ferdinand did not point out is how Ruben Dias has often played as a right-sided centre-back, a position which does not suit him.
Such as against Crystal Palace in the lead-up to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s goal, the treble-winner simply could not keep pace with the speedy Frenchman as he is not particularly athletically gifted.
The Amadora-born defender’s moderate pace and front-foot style of defending makes him a misfit when asked to defend in wide areas and his speciality lies in keeping attacks at bay inside the box as a left-sided centre-half.
Against Palace and Chelsea, Dias has been played as a right-sided centre-back and unsurprisingly, he has not looked the part.
Once Ruben Dias returns to his best position, his form will likely pick up as well.
