United-City will provide clues to next season's league title race
LONDON
A short break from the Barclays Premier League let me fly home to my first and only true love and watch Dundee sweep to a rare derby victory over Dundee United. It was a home game at Dens Park, which, as every soccer-crazy schoolkid on the planet should know, stands less than 100 yards from United's Tannadice Park.
How our wee place rocked on Wednesday night even though there were only 11,000 crammed in. Seven times as many will be at Old Trafford for the Manchester version of local conflict this weekend and, while there won't be a more savory atmosphere than in Dundee — there couldn't be, for the fans were able to mingle in pubs both before and after and I don't recall seeing more than a couple of cops in the neighborhood all night — it is fair to say that the soccer world will take a somewhat greater interest in events.
So often in recent years, a Manchester derby has been viewed as either a potential title-decider or a significant pointer to the future, or both. When City went to Old Trafford and won 6-1 in 2011, it was only October but we all but knew Sir Alex Ferguson's almost relentless acquisition of titles for United was going to be interrupted by the noisy neighbors, who duly became champions under Roberto Mancini.
Just over a year later the first derby of the following season took place across town at the Etihad and City felt the force of Ferguson's new signing, Robin van Persie, whose injury-time free-kick looped in off Samir Nasri to produce a 3-2 victory that signaled United's determination to wrestle back supremacy. Sure enough, they ended up champions in what was to prove the veteran coach's final season.
His successor, David Moyes, was unfortunate to be sent to the Etihad early last season and a sign of the way the wind had once again changed direction was the emphatic nature of City's triumph; although it was by only 4-1. Some observers rated the performance even more majestic than the 6-1. Now under Manuel Pellegrini, City became worthy champions again, keeping the title in Manchester so United would have a constant reminder of how the once-mighty had fallen since Ferguson stepped down.
As if they needed it, towards the end of the season, Pellegrini's team had done the local double with a 3-0 win at Old Trafford. And it's there that the improvement under Louis van Gaal this season can now be measured. When the teams met at the Etihad five months ago, some United fans might have encountered the uncomfortable feeling of deja vu when Chris Smalling was red-carded before halftime — they'd be recalling that Jonny Evans saw red during the 6-1 — but the 10 men stood up better this time and, after Sergio Aguero had scored the only goal, spent the closing stages filling City with fear of an equalizer.
So what next? The title almost certainly will leave Manchester next month — at the latest, for Chelsea have been hot favorites all season and could conceivably tie things up for all intents and purposes in their next three games, a derby at Queens Park Rangers immediately before the Manchester event, then home to United and away to Arsenal. But it's next season that could, if recent occurrences are any guide, involve a more significant altering of the balance of Mancunian power than any since City became super-rich — even by United's standards — upon the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008.
City no longer can spend their money with the freedom that enticed the core of champions — the likes of Aguero, David Silva, Yaya Toure and captain Vincent Kompany — to their "project." Not and comply with European financial-fair-play regulations. More recent acquisitions such as central defender Eliaquim Mangala and midfielder Fernando have not been so impressive as yet and so questions are being asked of the former Barcelona executive Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain as well as Pellegrini, who oversaw a third successive away defeat at Crystal Palace on Monday.
Slipping to fourth place looks dangerous for not only Pellegrini's job security but the plan to establish City among English and world soccer's front-runners. They were unlucky to get knocked out of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 in the sense that they drew Barcelona as Lionel Messi was running back into top form, but City's domestic consistency has slumped. It's not been the first time this season, and, if there is to be a resurgence, it simply has to start at Old Trafford.
So no pressure on Pellegrini and his players, then. It could be a very unpleasant experience for the blue faction, for United appear to have clicked under van Gaal, a point that was well and truly underlined when they went to Liverpool before the international break and ruthlessly put the home side's apparent progress under Brendan Rodgers into context. And van Gaal's hardly started. This summer, assisted by United's ability to use market muscle unhindered by Financial Fair Play, he'll be able to spend like City used to, or even more lavishly. Basically what City need to do is stop a juggernaut before it gains speed. That's their task for the weekend.
