Man United could suffer record derby defeat: Chris Sutton
Sutton tells Red Devils to buck up or expect battering by Citizens
Blackburn Rovers' English Premier League-winning striker Chris Sutton has warned of a nightmare at the Theatre of Dreams on Thursday morning (Singapore time).
Manchester United were abject in their 4-0 defeat by Everton on Sunday, and with champions Manchester City next up, things do not look good for the Red Devils.
United have lost six of their last eight matches in all competitions, while local rivals City have won their last 10 English Premier League matches.
The form table suggests a mismatch in the Manchester Derby and Sutton believes United could suffer a worse defeat than their 6-1 thumping by City in 2011 - the Red Devils' joint-worst derby defeat.
He wrote in his Daily Mail column: "If Manchester United play like this against City, then Pep Guardiola's side could run up a cricket score.
"City thumped their rivals 6-1 at Old Trafford in 2011 and it could be even worse on Wednesday night.
"United were comprehensively beaten on Sunday by an Everton team who, a week earlier, were played off the park by relegated Fulham.
"As bad as this was, now is not the time to rush to blame Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
"United's April slump only highlights how much he overachieved after arriving in December.
"He restored confidence to a team that had lost all belief under Jose Mourinho.
"Had the season started when Solskjaer took over, United would be third in the Premier League, only four points worse (off) than Manchester City, and nine points clear in a Champions League place.
"The improvement under Solskjaer masked the club's shambolic recruitment over the last five years."
However, former England manager Sam Allardyce seemed to take a swipe at the Norwegian, saying he has "finally found out what managing Manchester United is like".
United's horror run in their last eight matches has come after the club's hierarchy made Solskjaer's interim role permanent.
Allardyce told talkSPORT: "Ole has finally found out what managing Manchester United is like.
"All of a sudden, he's gone from having a golden touch to, how do I solve this problem we have now?
"The problem is deepening by every single game and he's got to find a way very, very quickly to put it right."
Former England and Manchester City defender Danny Mills, meanwhile, blamed Solskjaer's employers for rushing his appointment.
When the 46-year-old was handed the reins as Mourinho's permanent successor in March, he had guided United to 14 wins from his first 19 matches - including a remarkable Champions League second-leg escape act against Paris Saint-Germain in the Round of 16.
Mills told Sky Sports: "I don't understand why they gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the job that soon.
"He was never, ever going to leave. If Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG came in for him, he would have said: 'No, I'll wait until the end of the season'.
"There was no rush to make that appointment. Suddenly, if they lose their next three or four games, then what happens?
"That is a disastrous run of form he's been on and his record suddenly doesn't look very good going into the summer, and trying to attract new signings.
"They can't sack him, surely, that is never going to happen, but do they have the right man for the job?"
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