So here we go again.
It’s derby time. And this year it’s us that has to first trot across the city to our Blue brothers home.
It is subjective to accurately assess how far City have come in the last few months. Never before has there been a club in English football whose bank balance outweighs all of the other teams’ put together. And the power that brings cannot be underestimated. But here we are banging on the door of Christmas…and City have already lost 3 of their 11 league matches this season. And despite a stubbling Rooneyless start, United remain the only unbeaten team in the land. But does this actually mean anything?
Well in short: No.
The threat to our short and long term dominance is very real. I think even the most blind United fans who had never seen the dark days when we were trophyless, now understand that the Big Blue Menace’s dirty breath is on our necks..and with our American owners and all the tears and shame that brings to us..we truly are in vulnerable times.
But enough doom and gloom! Cos we are up for a fight!
There’s no doubting the quality of our former beau Tevez, and City have players that can do special things. But adversity is something United has always faced. The underdog role was always one we cherished. Forget how big we are in global terms of fan support. Over the years we have always thrived on that ‘us versus them’ mentality. My first big experience of United was the 1985 Cup Final where we played an Everton team who many considered the best in Europe at that time. We were just little old United…former giant. Up against the new breed. And in dramatic fashion we took them down. In 1991 we did the same to Barcelona in our first European final in 23 years. And throughout the 90s we wrestled away Liverpool dominance of all things domestic. Saw off the rising threat of Leeds…and overhauled the cash rich Alan Shearer powered Blackburn. Then in recent memory, we rose again to smash the success achieved by Arsenal’s unbeatable, never-to-lose-ever-again-ables, best-team-on-the-planet-ables…and then fought against the Russian tyranny that is Chelsea football club..not only taking the league title away from them, but doing it three times in a row, and add to that beating them in their own Moscow back yard for a Champions League trophy.
So you see…this is all nothing new for us.
In football terms, I have total respect for City. But of course as a die hard Red I have no love for them. I think that City will win silverware in the very near future at our exspense, but in a way I welcome that! I want the challenge. I want to feel that underdog vibe we have felt so many times before….
Because that is when we truly are Manchester United.
Wednesday may turn into a mess for us. But it might just be a glorious night in our recent history..as our series of matches against them last year showed. Are City truly stronger than they were 12 months ago? In my opinion…not really. Balotelli? Talented but a nut-job. Milner? Industrious but not a world beater. Kolarov? Who?? Yaya Toure? Possibly the most overpaid average footballer in the history of the world. David Silva…well he is a good player. But none of those lot make me lose any sleep.
We are up for a rumble on Wednesday. Bring your best.
+1 cheers mate.
Balotelli is talented, but won’t be playing after the red card he got?
I think we pay them too much respect. Our first 11 is still much stronger than theirs, and Im still not convinced Mancini is the one to take them forward; He is too reactive and defensive – both on the field and off it! His training methods are questionable and the squad is still a couple of strikers/defenders short of what is required. City then are still a number of years away from challenging for the major silverware, as both United and Chelsea seek to maintain their stronghold on the PL trophy. It’s for that reason that I pay no special attention to the result tomorrow evening if indeed City somehow manage to put one over on us …