Manchester City vs Manchester United will have a different flavour to it tomorrow. While the atmosphere will no doubt be the same, vitriolic from both sides, there will be a sense of acknowledgement from the away side for the hosts.
Did you buy that? You shouldn’t have. Of course, United will not pay any sort of homage to their nosy neighbours. While City have earned the respect of many sides, the game will be all about pride and making a statement.
United need to stop City from clinching it against them
Mourinho and co have had a decent season in the league though they would have wanted to do better. Jose’s second season luck seems to have run out, but no other club gave him the chance to make things right in the past during his third season, a luxury he’ll have at United.
The game against City will, therefore, serve as a reminder to Guardiola and his side that Mourinho isn’t past his sell by date and there is enough passion and pragmatism in him to bounce back and build a team that can lift the title next season.
Though both the managers were in the dugout last season, this is the round one of the two sides as last season was about knowing who’s who and building something for the coming years. Pep has managed to that exceptionally well, and Jose needs to get back up for round two.
Jose has done it before
A deadly counterattacking side that beat even Barcelona, a side that many believed didn’t have any weaknesses. While Pep is often lauded for the eye-catching champagne football, Jose’s sides know how to beat teams. Call it boring, but if it works, why not stick to it?
City’s latest game against Liverpool gave us all we wanted to know about the home team. Have we forgotten how Jose’s sides managed to keep two clean sheets against the same swashbuckling team in both their Premier League games?
Granted, City have been on another level, but the same might not happen next season. Pep’s side often have a shelf life like any other team and despite the average age of the side, it would be too foolhardy to presume they’ll dominate the league for the next few years.
Final Thought
While it may understandably seem that it is all about Manchester City winning the league tomorrow against their rivals, it is also equally important for Jose to make a statement which, if successfully made, will have huge implications for next season.