For a City fan you know that derby games against Manchester United have had their fair share of ups and downs for us over the seasons. Recently we have witnessed the superb performances of City only to be denied by late, late goals from United, as well as the ruining of the 50th anniversary of the air disaster by City when we beat them on their own ground 2-1. The first time we had actually done that since 1974 and, combined with the 1-0 win earlier in the season, it was the first double we had completed since 1970.
In 1975 you had the 4-0 win against them in the League Cup fourth round but even celebrations of that were marred by the fact that Colin Bell was carried off early in the first half. He was never to be the same again and ironically nor were City. In fact in 20 derby games from that day to the glorious day in 1989 City only won 3, all at home. United won half of the games played and scored 30 goals to our 19. That all led up to the game that is now known as the Maine Road massacre, when United were beaten 5-1 by us, their noisy neighbors. However that was not a signal of a change for us during the 1990’s in fact it was to continue in Uniteds favor with City struggling even to keep a manager for more than a season as theirs just got older and more purple! However then came the 2000’s and King Kevin Keegan, whose hatred of Ferguson and United went back to his time as Newcastle manager and that now famous rant on camera.
It is funny how patterns emerge in football because in that first season back in top flight football saw us on a three game losing streak before then picking up a win away to West Brom and then that final derby at Maine Road, the 3-1 win and Shaun Goaters 100th City goal (that seem familiar anyone). Follow that up the next season with an improvement of 4-1 in our new stadium and things looked good. In fact since we have been in our new stadium the derby results have been slightly better with us winning 5 of the 17 games, (our away form has been our downfall with actual stats at CoMS have us winning half the games).
But that is all in the past and we gear towards another 90 minutes (or if they are losing or drawing, another 96 minutes). This City team, with Tevez, Silva, Johnson and co certainly now have one of the better lineups we have seen for a while in a Manchester derby, while the old threats from United are just that, old. Giggs and Scholes were once the ones to fear, but no more. Sure they still have the ability to punish you but the fact is United in recent years have lost Ronaldo, they have lost Tevez and they have not replaced them with real quality. Sure Berbatov can pop up for the occasional goal but he scores for a few games and then he is done for a long time, and he has his quota for the season! Rooney is a real threat to us but should be injured and not be on the pitch. But the most dangerous person of all that wears the United colors is of course their manager, Alex Ferguson. He scares referees into allowing extra time to be played where there was none, he berates referees, linesmen (and yes I call them linesman!) and fourth officials to the extent that he decides if a foul is a foul. However even the Emperors powers are fading because he is losing his ability to use mind tricks on people. This week for example, he has come out complaining he doesn’t have fit players to pick from, that his whole squad is ill. That may have worked in the past but I suspect that a full strength eleven will be on the pitch at Eastlands and all that will do is allow you to explain away your inevitable loss to Obi Wan Mancini and us noisy rebel scum! Tick tock Mr F, tick tock!
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