With the 170th Manchester Derby looming, can we begin to consider the fixture as a six-pointer in the title race once again after a period of transition for Manchester United?
Not really. This season I don’t really see anybody who can stop City if they play to their potential –I’m just never having Arsenal as a serious contender and I won’t until they get a top replacement for Wenger – and just because United are the other close ‘challenger’ I just don’t seem them actually running City close. Can you imagine if United win the league this season if they carry on as they have done in the first few months? It would be absolutely astounding.
I think City have a real chance to cement themselves as the dominant force in football now. Whether United can compete with that over the next few years depends on who their next manager is – I don’t think Van Gaal will win the league and I’d be amazed if Giggs works.
At this stage of the season, what would a win mean to both sides? Does one team need the points more than the other?
I think United could probably do with a win slightly more, as they have more to prove. Back-to-back derby wins would be huge for them as they could justifiably say they can compete with City again after a string of terrible results, stretching back to Ferguson’s final couple of seasons. It’s obviously huge for both teams and if City win they’ll obviously be handily placed in the table, and able to claim, justifiably, they’re the big dogs in Manchester now. United are in the position of weakness for once, so that’s why they have a little bit more at stake here.
Both teams spent heavily this summer, but it appears to be money well spent with Kevin De Bruyne and Anthony Martial in particular impressing early into their respective careers in Manchester. Which of the two do you think is more important to their team and why?
I’m really, really excited about both of these players. I’ve written about De Bruyne this week because he’s impressed me so much. City fans will have seen how cool and calm he is on the ball whenever he gets it, it seems nothing fazes him whatsoever and he’s barely put a foot wrong. In interviews, too, his confidence really comes across. What he says isn’t going to make the headlines but he’s just so sure of himself, but not in an arrogant way. He’s something really special, and I love watching him play.
Martial is brilliant, too. He looks like the real deal and he’s barely had a bad game for United either. He’s got pace, confidence, skill and a cool head, like De Bruyne.
I think it speaks volumes that nobody is talking about the transfer fees with these two. In terms of who is more important, I’d probably have to say Martial. De Bruyne has ensured the absence of David Silva and Sergio Aguero hasn’t been too much of a problem – which is an incredible thing really, when you consider how City have played without them before – but without Martial United look terrible (and they sometimes do even when he does play).Van Gaal keeps saying not to build him up too much because he’s only young, but I think he’s played just about every minute since the debut against Liverpool! If it wasn’t for him, United would have no pace going forward whatsoever, especially as Depay has been so disappointing so far.
Both sides have struggled to translate their Premier League form into the Champions League and despite winning their last two games in Europe, Manchester City look unrecognisable to the team that have scored 28 goals in domestic competitions. Can both sides expect to progress in Europe under the philosophies of their current managers?
United have got more of a chance of progressing with Van Gaal’s philosophy than City have with Pellegrini’s, although I don’t think United can win the Champions League by any stretch. The main reason I think that is because there’s more flexibility with Van Gaal’s United; they could strangle a game by keeping the ball or play a really rigid, defensive game. That could come in handy away from home.
Can you imagine City doing that? Pellegrini is wedded to the idea of playing attacking football, but he doesn’t seem to realise that you can do that without relying on one or two terrific players to come up with the goods. It’s good enough in the Premier League – he points out that City are normally second or third best in terms of fewest goals conceded – but we’ve seen the problems that poses in Europe. Even on Wednesday night it could have been a lot, lot worse.
Manuel Pellegrini surprised spectators by omitting captain Vincent Kompany from the starting eleven against Sevilla on Wednesday night. Is this a case of the manager punishing Kompany for defying orders on international duty and do you think the Belgian will be reinstated this weekend?
Pellegrini flatly refused the suggestion that he was punishing Kompany but it certainly seems he was. Kompany quickly became aware that Pellegrini and City weren’t happy when he returned from international duty, and he seemed to know he was going to be kept out of the Bournemouth game almost immediately. That he was kept out against Sevilla was a big shock. Pellegrini says Mangala and Otamendi played well against Newcastle and Bournemouth, but that’s just not true. Even if we forget Bournemouth, they were absolutely dire against Newcastle in that first half.
So yeah, Pellegrini was very unhappy with Kompany playing for Belgium – he thinks he is as guilty as Marc Wilmots and the staff – and I think he’s throwing his weight around. He’ll be back on Sunday though, surely!
Yaya Toure showed just how influential he can be in a City shirt on Wednesday night, but his lack of defensive nous ensured Sevilla were able to cut through the Blues’ midfield with relative ease. Is it worth sticking with the Ivorian in Europe just for his abilities going forward?
No it isn’t. We’ve seen already that his presence in that midfield can be costly, and that was when he was a far bigger attacking threat than he is now. He could play as a No.10 with Fernando and Fernandinho behind him, but playing him in a midfield two won’t get City anywhere against the top teams (and some of the not-so-top teams). I think he’ll have plenty more chances to prove us wrong while Pellegrini is still in charge, though.
Sergio Aguero has scored eight goals against United since moving to City in 2011. Can the Blues rely on Wilfried Bony to fill his boots for the next month or will City be left to rue the Argentine’s absence?
The thinking with Bony was that he just needed a goal and things would start to click for him. He got two against Bournemouth (and missed a few others) but didn’t seem any better for it against Sevilla. That moment when he didn’t seem to realise a Sevilla player was near him was ridiculous, and a lot of pent-up frustration towards him boiled over at that point. He’s not a complete write-off – he’s hardly had a chance to get started at City – but I don’t think he can replicate Aguero’s best form. Fortunately, Aguero hasn’t really played that well this season apart from against Chelsea and Newcastle and City are still doing alright, and because of De Bruyne they’ll probably get by ok without him over the next few weeks.
Who will be the key player for each side on Sunday and why?
I think the obvious ones are De Bruyne and Martial. As I’ve already said it’s hard to say one player is more important than the other for their team because they’ve both been so crucial in recent weeks. Neither seem too fazed by the big occasion so that stands them in good stead for Sunday. Knowing derbies, though, it could be anybody. If City are to win, I think Kompany will play a big part.
If you were to create a combined eleven from both squads, who would you include?
This might not go down brilliantly (these things never do!) but here goes:
4-2-3-1: De Gea; Zabaleta, Kompany, Smalling, Shaw; Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin; De Bruyne, Silva, Martial; Aguero.
I couldn’t put Yaya in a midfield two after what I said before! I’ve got a soft spot for Schweinsteiger, and I reckon Schneiderlin just pips Fernandinho. Cue abuse!
And finally, your score prediction?
I think there’ll be goals. There haven’t been many draws in recent derbies but one seems inevitable here, so I’m going to go for 2-2 (but I wouldn’t be surprised if City blitz United completely and win 3-0).
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