England – Community Shield – Hot cup derby
By David, BettingExpert.com | Published
Ferguson has usually not put much weight behind his attempts to get hold of this trophy but, given that emerging force Manchester City are vying for the title of first club in the city, he will want to prove once again how far behind they still are before reaching the glory heights his club is momentarily enjoying.
Man Utd – Man City
With all the money spent and a knowledgeable coach at the helm City cannot really be that far away from reaching the top levels in English football. They have after all also qualified directly to the upcoming Champions League tournament and although there are still questions as to whether Tevez will still be leading the lines they are expected to be challengers for next season’s Premier League.
Seeing all this hype surrounding the blue side of Manchester will surely spur Ferguson to try and end their hopes with a disappointment at the very start. His Red Devils have proven they are in good enough shape after beating their conquerors in the London Champions League final last season, Barcelona, on their American tour. City did not fall short of a victory themselves after trouncing Inter with a 3-0 score line.
The match has brought on good memories of the city of Milan for controversial striker Balotelli who stated that he does not like life in Manchester. Who would blame him for such an opinion after having tasted the metropolitan life in Milan? Yet for a volatile player like him such affirmations may be more than just an expression of feelings which could be muted by a professional attitude towards his job.
With Tevez also resilient in wanting to leave the city, probably also for Milan to join the Nerazzurri, it keeps looking an uphill struggle for Mancini to manage and get some stability at Manchester City. He has been asking his players for a professional attitude “like that at Manchester United” for a while now, knowing that there is need of more than just talent and spending in order to win titles. So far his wish has not been granted.
Ferguson’s discipline on the other side of the city has been dictating law for a long time now. That is undeniable, just like his ability to use it at his and the club’s advantage to collect silverware. His desire to sign on Sneijder to fill in for the gap left by Scholes is questionable though.
The two midfielders are very different with Scholes more inclined to get his foot in and halt the opponents’ run. Sneijder falls on the creative spectrum, having exploded on the international scene for an offensive Ajax side in a league like that of the Eredivisie. He was originally a winger and his strong point where his dribbling and passing abilities. Definitely not his defensive qualities. At Inter he became Mourinho’s playmaker after a long courtship by the Portuguese manager to lure him away from Madrid. He did brilliantly in that role behind the one striker, capable of setting up the players running in from the flanks or going at goal himself. Playing him alongside Carrick or Fletcher and asking of him to mind the players behind him would not be his natural role. In fact, he would simply fail as a central midfielder in United’s 4-4-2.
It would also be a strange choice for Ferguson to spend so much money on a player who is already 27. Whenever he broke the bank it was for the likes of Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, although he did spend good money Berbatov as well – copy of Rooney which the team did not need and an episode which he ought to keep in mind before turning to bringing in another player who would only step on the toes of the many players that play in his potential roles on the pitch – Giggs, Rooney, Young, Nani, Valencia, Park.
Whatever Ferguson decides to do it will not have much effect on this match though although the gaping hole in the middle of the park will still be there. Nonetheless, I do not believe that will influence balance a lot here. United should have clearer ideas than neighbours Manchester City, where trouble seems to brewing all the time.
Chicharito Hernandez may be missing for United but as Ferguson had admitted prior to the injury he was already planning to rest the youngster ahead of a very tough season in which he should be the man spearheading the attacking line-up of the Red Devils.
Owen looked sharp against Barcelona and definitely the right man to replace Hernandez. Their style of play is exactly the same so he would be a good replacement and at the same time bring to life old memories of a goal in the dying minutes of a match and a particular 4-3 scoreline that put smiles on United fans’ faces and brought sadness to their neighbours.
Verdict: Man Utd 0:0
Since City’s rise to greatness they have always suffered one team more than any other. United mesmerize Manchester City with their game and most of all their fighting spirit. The latter is something which City usually demonstrate only against each other on the training grounds. With Tevez doubts still lingering and United already able to make use of their well oiled mechanisms on the pitch this match should shift towards the red side of Manchester.
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