'When in a top club, you are always one loss away from a crisis.'
Those were the carefully chosen words Vincent Kompany turned to when weighing in on the debate over Manchester United's unfolding nightmare this season.
Just like him, his response was eloquent but direct, targeted but respectful. There is no discernible split between Kompany the brutish player and Kompany the fresh-faced manager, the one that now stalks the touchline and propels Burnley forward.
Having played for Manchester City for over a decade, Kompany has seen the ins and outs of a crisis and this week, he may be set to plunge United head-first into one.