The Manchester blitzkreig!
The clock is ticking fast, and within a few hours Manchester is all set to explode into chaos and pandemonium as the two Manchester clubs come Vis a Vis, the only question remaining is which side of Manchester will live to tell the tale. Is it going to be the “favorites” or the “underdogs”, the two terms are rather ambiguous and I am leaving it to you to figure it out because seriously speaking I am still confused as to where the two clubs stand when juxtaposed. It is going to be the first derby of the year 2012 and with all the ingredients in place we have yet another exhilarating and euphoric match on the cards, and the prospect of it being a Knock-out tie in the FA Cup transcends the match to an even higher level.
In the previous meeting between the two clubs which will be etched in our minds forever, a memory worth relishing for the Citizens and an unforgettable nightmare for The Red Devils, United were annihilated and left wallowing in Ignominy after city put a staggering 6 goals into the back of the net and while Darren Fletcher’s goal in the 81st minute denied them a clean sheet. Sir Alex Ferguson will be eyeing for a long awaited revenge and so will the rest of the players.
Form
Just as United were coming back into their usual routine of reaching their zenith during the festive season with convincing five goal triumphs over “The Latics” and Fulham but the Irony of football came back to haunt them with decisive setbacks, an unexpected 3-2 home loss to Blackburn who were at the bottom of the table before the match and a 3-0 loss to Newcastle United at the St.James Park. This leaves them trailing behind city in the League by a critical three points. A win against the Citizens tomorrow will at least alleviate some of the pressure and boost their title winning chances.
United has been lacking creativity in the midfield area for most of the time this season which has been attributed to the departure of Paul Scholes and they are lacking in play-makers who can create opportunities for the strikers and feed them with precise crosses and through balls. Though Ferguson is adamant about any signings in the January transfer window, the fact is they are in dire need of players who can inject some creativity into the United midfield .Another problem looming over Ferguson is that of the goal keeper. Just when it seemed like De Gea has settled in well as the shot stopper for United, the omens of the 1999 Goalkeeper dilemma came back to haunt United. He played a major part in the loss against Blackburn Rovers and Anders Lindegaard who has thus far been exceptional with 6 clean sheets in his seven appearances for United faltered against Newcastle and ended up allowing three goals past him.
"The City Triple Threat"
- On the other hand City continue to maintain their incendiary start to the season, their No.1 spot speaks for itself, but it hasn’t been spotless, a draw against a lackluster West Brom and an ironic loss at the Stadium of Light courtesy of Ji Dong-won’s last gasp winner leaves them with three wins in their last five matches. Never the less the players are riding high on morale and look to be promising in the near future. City is overflowing with a surplus of players, more notably in the attacking area, with world class strikers Edin Dzeko, Sergio Aguero , David Silva and with players like Samir Nasri and James Milner feeding them balls from all over the ground, it is every defense’s nightmare to face them. The city lineup looks spooky on paper, even more intimidating on the pitch and they are definitely the team to beat this season.
Squad
United were on the cusp of facing a worse injury crisis but recovered right back in time for the key period, with Ferdinand, Anderson, and Jones all back for the FA cup tie. The defense although looks deplete with the likes of Vidic, Chris Smalling, Johnny Evans and Fabio still sidelined due to injury. As we have seen in the recent matches Ryan Giggs, Carrick and Valencia have been filling the voids in the defense which has produced rather mixed results. Ferguson will be glad that won’t be the case against city because otherwise Mancini would have taken full opportunity to try and penetrate the feeble defensive wall. Ashley Young and Michael Owen are also unavailable due to injuries .Rooney and Hernandez will most probably be the first choice forwards while the in-form Bulgarian Berbatov and Welbeck will be on the Bench.
On the blue side of Manchester there is not much of a selection headache for Mancini as compared to Ferguson but the Toure brothers who are off to the African Nations Cup and an ankle injury to Balotelli leaves them out of the tie while Gareth Barry is on suspension.
A test of endurance, experience and perseverance, audacity, tenacity and ferocity awaits the Manchester clubs, there is no short cut to victory, and every player has to give his one hundred percent, more importantly team work is what matters. So whichever Manchester club you are supporting, get geared up for ninety minutes of footballing “Nirvana”.