Derby Day Again

For all the foreigners pouring in from outside Manchester to watch their beloved United play, one defiinite thought must be passing through their collective non-Manc gray matter. it can’t possibly be any more mediocre than their last meeting at Eastlands in November. For all those ‘genuine Mancs’ in sky blue scarves who insist that Roberto Mancini is a tactical genius and a winner, entertainment and money are beside the point. All that matters to a true City fan is that United not win!

Well, humorless Citehzens, I would much prefer to remember the last P.L. meeting at Old Trafford in September 2009. Remember that one? A sweet little match. United won it 4-3 in the sixth minute of injury time thanks to a lovely Michael Owen goal after letting City tie it up three times. The Gaffer called it “The best derby of all time.” It was, to be sure, despite losing valiantly, City’s best display since the days when Joe Mercer led them out of the tunnel. The Gallagher brothers, who haven’t put together a decent album for a few decades themselves, insisted it was fixed and that the referee Martin Atkinson came at a bargain price. Never mind the fact that, on top of the four minutes signalled by the ref, there were at least two and a half minutes of City getting jiggy after everybody’s footie valentine Craig Bellamy scored an equalizer.

City supporteras are still whinging about that one, but, you know, it’s understandable behavior when the last good season you had was in 1977. Only Liverpool, who City were runners-up to that season, have fans who weep and keen and hate Manchester United more. United, having won eleven championships in the last eighteen seasons are easy to hate. I can live with that, in or out of Manchester.

Will things be different at Old Trafford? Now that United have had their long string of unbeaten matches cancelled out by a backs-to-the-wall, bottom of the table Wolves team, City fans smell blood and have already had their collective heart skip a beat. Having invested billions in the club already, Manchester City’s owners will keep spernding to achieve parity. Well, at least until EUFA’s new rules on club debt kick in.

Indeed, if City can win on Saturday they will be only two points behind the Red Devils. With Carlos ‘The Trier’ Tevez amped up to the point of hysteria, driven close to the point of insanity by the ithe erratic successes of Dimitar Berbatov and the sheer size of Wazza’s wages, it looks like it’s going to be a doozy.

The last truly great Derby game I remember was at Maine Road in September 1967. I was a thirteen-year-old lad from Chorlton-on-Medlock (yes, Mr. Dzeko, really!) and, although City went on to win the league that season and beat us at Old Trafford, the Maine Road game was fantastic. We won 2-1 despite a fine goal by Colin Bell for City. Bobby Charlton scored both United goals, the latter an absolute rocket from thirty yards out. “Bobby Dazzler!” We chanted. “Bobby Bobby Bobby Dazzler, we love you!” On the way home , outside Kendall’s on Deansgate, we saw scores of City fans being frog-marched by the Bill into a Paddy Waggon. They had tried to wreck the haberdashery floor where Norma Charltron was manager. Indeed, the very thought of a WAG working a normal job would be shocking now. Oh, and, umm, that year, we just so happened to win the Eurpoean Cup!

Naturally, that year although it was a great year for a City team which included the likes of Franny Lee, Mike Sumerbee, Colin Bell, Mike Doyle and the recently deceased Neil Young, won the Football League championship, was an even better year for a fantastic Manchester United team which included George Best, Bobby Charlkton, Nobby Stiles, John Connelly, Denis Law and a certain youngster named Brian Kidd.

Depending upon whom you read, with all the bad blood between Carlos Tevez and certain members of United’s team and staff, Park ji-Sung and Patrice Evra will again be pressed into service to act as peacemakers. Clearly, no matter how many times the police tell him not to, nothing will prevent Carlitos froim showing off for the Stretford End if he scores.

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Category: Manchester United