Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has said that he 'feels compassion' for Manchester United following their five-year title drought.

The Red Devils last finished top of the Premier League in Sir Alex Ferguson's final season at the Old Trafford helm and ended their most recent campaign trophiless.

United have made their worst start to a top-flight season in a quarter of a century under Jose Mourinho this time around, meanwhile, leading to suggestions that the Portuguese could become the third manager sacked since Ferguson bowed out.

Despite being sympathetic to United's plight, Kompany admits that he is keen to take full advantage as his City side aim to claim back-to-back league crowns.

"I have compassion for the neighbours because Sir Alex Ferguson was such a big personality, you cannot take somebody like that out of a club and think everything is going to continue like before," he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News.

"You need a transition period. Manchester United is still a big club, it competes for everything, but it's still dealing with the post-Ferguson era - it's as simple as that.

"Manchester United are still ­dealing with a post­-Ferguson era. So they will get that side of me, feeling ­compassionate. But any time it takes them to get back up, we need to take advantage of it."

City finished 19 points ahead of United last season - the biggest margin between first and second place in Premier League history.