Tom Lappin: City's challenge to Manchester royalty leaves United twitchy
By Tom Lappin
WAYNE Rooney's timing has been a little awry lately. It might explain why he has had a barren November after his personal goal glut in October. It might also imply he chose exactly the wrong moment to offer a condescending put-down of Manchester City's pretensions.
Pointing out that City are not exactly setting the Premier League alight, he confidently predicted that, after tomorrow's derby at Eastlands, it would be United who would emerge as the Kings of Manchester. After a momentary shudder at the thought of a royal dynasty from Manchester (in gilded hoodies?), the thought occurs that this is not a game that United should continue to take lightly.
His manager Sir Alex Ferguson was continuing with the airy dismissals on Thursday, although his is more likely to be a considered tactic than an honest opinion. Ferguson doesn't have the background for snooty hauteur, so he quickly descended into spiteful sniping. Using his Methuselah-like status he brought up the Sunderland Bank of England side of all the talents, relegated 50 years ago. He omitted to mention another star-studded wealthy club of all the talents, relegated 34 years ago, United waved on their way in the Manchester derby by the saddest back-heel of all time courtesy of Denis Law.
This is ancient history however. In a derby, the axiom goes, history counts for nothing, even recent history like the fact that Sven-Goran Eriksson led City to home and away wins against United last season, a glitch that didn't spoil United's season but added a little superfluous asperity to Sir Alex's scowl. Reminded of that on Thursday, he mumbled something ungracious about United being unlucky.
Form isn't supposed to count for anything in derbies either, which should be a consolation to United. City followed up their scintillating dismantling of Arsenal with an impressive win on Thursday night away to Schalke 04, with a performance that was substantially more impressive than United's draw of convenience with Villarreal. Moreover, it was achieved without the participation of Robinho, or his compatriot Elano. It was achieved because the defensive gaffes that have characterised City's erratic season were eliminated, because the team rose to a substantial challenge.
Mark Hughes would hate his team to be characterised as a northern Arsenal, only willing to put in the effort when their opponents were prestigious, but it is apparent that they enjoy matches where they aren't expected to win. They outpassed and outmanoeuvred Arsene Wenger's prodigious technicians, and it's not unreasonable to expect them to offer similar problems to United tomorrow, all the more so after Rooney and Ferguson's put-downs.
Ferguson's disdain for City is misplaced at the present. There is only one side in Manchester made up virtually entirely of global superstars acquired at immense expense and it's United. As the home-quarried gems like Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville begin to rage a little less at their fading lustre, United will be even more of a buying club. Even their English stars like Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves and Wayne Rooney cost United £100 million to acquire. Ferguson, shocking as it may seem, is being a tad hypocritical when mocking City's project of buying the best on the market.
Besides, Hughes seems keen to show that lavish spending might not be necessary. Ironically, for all the South American genius on the roster, City's most solidly impressive player at the moment is Stephen Ireland. It's difficult to know what the profile is in Dubai of the occasionally mendacious midfielder who declines to play international football even after they named the national team after him. If they know anything about football in the desert though they will be purring over his commitment, invention and steady supply of goals.
Second only to Ireland in City's team on Thursday was the gifted left-sided attacking midfielder Daniel Sturridge. He has a name that sounds like he should have been in the Eton Rifles with David Cameron, and his vision, passing, touch and intelligence ooze aristocratic class. It's been a generation since United's academy produced a player of that calibre. Or one like Micah Richards, whose inevitably illustrious England career is on temporary hold.
The trick for Hughes of course is to maintain a route into the first team for the academy stars while accommodating the big names that the Dubai owners will be recruiting. Ferguson has an unassailable point when suggesting that great teams have to be developed organically rather than assembled briskly at the check-out. It is premature and not a little insulting though to imply that Hughes doesn't know that.
Of course, Hughes will have headaches, but in the meantime the rest of us can enjoy the fact that the Dubai takeover has been such an effective wind-up of the United manager, requiring another shade of puce on the palette. Rooney may be proved right tomorrow, and United may remain Kings of Manchester, but how long will it be before the pretenders are offering a sustained challenge?
In the modern Premier League nothing is impossible. Sir Alex continues to dismiss the idea of City signing Cristiano Ronaldo as a bizarre fantasy. It probably is. Because Ronaldo is far too mature and selfless to be interested in relentless ego-massaging and huge amounts of cash. Isn't he?
Ronaldo. Not my beautiful face!!!
