Red Versus Blue
Politicians get out of the way, this is the real red versus blue! Sir Alex Ferguson chose yesterday’s press conference to confirm what everyone around the city knows; this is going to be massive.
Red versus blue will be a familiar theme over the coming weeks, and with last night’s leaders debate passing off with little more than the usual political huffing and puffing, at least we can expect some real fire and fury when a ball is thrown into the mix.
You will have to regress a fair while to find a league derby that has such important connotations for both teams, where a win for either side, as well as giving their own aspirations a boost, will just as much sniper the hopes of the other faction. As per, it will be City trying to deal the most savage blow, knowing that taking points off their most bitter rivals will effectively signal the end of their already dwindling title charge.
As Ferguson spoke at length of a ‘pivotal weekend’, not only here but in London as well where Chelsea take on City’s main champions league challengers Tottenham, he chose to give comment on a few permutations, suggesting City can afford to draw, as can Chelsea. What the Scot chose to omit, was the fact this is essentially a must win game for the reigning champions, anything less would be terminal. Carlo Ancelotti’s men would then require just six points from their remaining four games - well within their capabilities.
The noisy neighbours would make a hell of a din about
putting the final nail in United’s championship coffin.
On the other hand, any damage to city would be repairable. Holding a one point lead over spurs, even a city loss and a spurs win would potentially mean city could overturn the deficit when the North Londoners travel to Manchester for the penultimate game of the season. Let battle commence.
With such high stakes to be fought over, it’s easy to forget the amount of sub-plots which have already been sewn so far this season, which further fuel what should be an epic encounter. There’s the on-going tete-a-tete about supremacy, cash and honour, not to mention the three previous duels which have gone on this season. The Owen goal in Fergie time, the Tevez double in the league cup and the Rooney response which shattered City’s pursuits of that elusive silverware. No wonder this is being billed as the biggest derby for decades.
Trying to put some sense of perspective into things, it is the blues who come into the fixture with all of the momentum. United’s season has been rocked since that defeat in Munich, which also shorn them of the one-man arsenal that is Wayne Rooney. Without their 34 goal hitman, United looked a pale imitation of themselves as they were done by Chelsea and laboured to a draw with Blackburn. As has been the case for large portions of this season, United’s hopes rest with the fitness of their star-man.
Conversely, City have been goals galore of late, knocking in fourteen in their last three games, six of which have been scored by the man Ferguson claims he doesn’t regret selling as Dimitar Berbatov does his traffic cone impersonation, Carlos Tevez.
