Why Manchester United could face a thrashing against Manchester City
There was something weird about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's press conference ahead of the Manchester derby. The Manchester United boss spent quite some time discussing which team was bigger in the City.
That the topic even came up, and that Solskjaer couldn't help but acknowledge Manchester City's dominance in the last decade, says how standards have fallen at the side he now manages.
For much of Sir Alex Ferguson's time, The Red Devils were head and shoulders better than their neighbours. But that has changed since the legendary Scotsman retired at the end of the 2012-13 season.
Manchester United have since been in the shadows of Manchester City since then. They are no closer to closing the gap ahead of Saturday's clash between the two teams at Old Trafford.
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Manchester United will start as the underdogs against Manchester City
Solskjaer's side is playing at home, but they are far from being the favourites. Rather, they will start the game as underdogs, considering their recent run of poor form.
United have a star-studded roster, much like City, but Solskjaer has failed to get the best out of his team, unlike Guardiola. The Norwegian and his assistants have failed to fashion a system or style the team can be identified with even after three years in charge.
Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester City have a distinctive style of play. The same cannot be said of Manchester United, which is why they have struggled since the start of the season.
The Red Devils are heavily reliant on individual brilliance. So on days when Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes don't turn up, they usually find themselves wanting. Considering the same, it is Pep Guardiola's side, who will arrive at Old Trafford confident of leaving with all three points.
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Listless Manchester United risk another thrashing
It's been almost three months into the season. But there has not even been a single game where United have had absolute control.
They might have won some matches comfortably, but on no occasion did they outplay any of their opponents. So it comes as no surprise that Liverpool took United to the cleaners.
In truth, the same could happen against Manchester City on Sunday too. The Cityzens are ruthless, and have scored goals for fun this season. Considering the same, Solskjaer's side could be their next victims.
“It’s an important game, and with a win, we still have got the possibility to close up to the teams in front of us,” the Norwegian manager said ahead of the game, as quoted by the Guardian.
The Manchester United manager continued:
“We have just got to keep on picking up points, get further away from what we did against Liverpool and move on. The Tottenham game was miles better, but we need to improve in all the aspects of the game.
“It is only the start of November, so we are not going to talk about the end position in the table, but still every game in this league is massive, and if you can manage three points, it’s a job well done.”
Confidence is low around United at the moment. Manchester City could compound their misery further unless Solskjaer and his side pull a rabbit out of their hat. That, though, is unlikely considering how poor and disjointed United've been for much of the season.