Some people say the glass is half full; some say it’s half empty. I say it’s twice as big as it oughtta be–George Carlin.
Last season Manchester United dominated City 4-2 in the red-hosted half of the league tie. It’s not a good idea to live in the past however. Believe me, I know. Yes the sky blues had several players they either don’t or may not have tomorrow. Sergio Aguero is definitely out. David Silva and Samir Nasri are questionable. Vincent Kompany is in horrible form and his manager isn’t as willing as United’s to keep putting his captain out there hoping for a reversal in fortune.
On the face of it such news suggests City are again there for the taking. It doesn’t take a more recent scoreline into account though: United 6500km-0 City. That of course is the distance traveled by Louis van Gaal’s squad, there and back, to Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday, and the corresponding distance for the Citizens, who simultaneously hosted Sevilla at the Etihad.
Optimism over City’s injury woes also fails to consider the form of one player in particular. As United were trudging back to the clubhouse to change out of their kits and into traveling clothes after failing to take all three points from CSKA despite dominating possession throughout, and play overall in the second half, Kevin de Bruyne was doing what he has consistently done since arriving in the blue half of Manchester. He was scoring a decisive highlight reel goal to garner three points for his new club.
There’s no reason to imagine the Belgian’s powers will wane at Old Trafford. In fact United’s lack of a deep-lying stopper to play in front of Chris Smalling and either Phil Jones or Daley Blind suggests De Bruyne’s legend may grow. If Louis van Gaal stubbornly sticks with Bastian Schweinsteiger, who is almost as shiny an apple in his manager’s eye as Wayne Rooney, expect Manuel Pellegrini’s new talisman to attack at will. The German has neither the pace nor the grit to deter his youthful foe.
LvG might be better advised to give the man who sparked United’s second-half fight back in Moscow, Marouane Fellaini, an opportunity. Not only does the Belgian chia pet have experience in the destroyer role, he is extensively familiar with De Bruyne, his Belgian international teammate.
Without the skinny, floppy-coiffed ex-Toffee, or perhaps the nimble Morgan Schneiderlin, shadowing the strawberry-blonde assassin, United will be in for a long, bloody afternoon. With one of them attached to his hip United may be able to produce a result. Don’t count too heavily on a pie-in-the-sky dream of victory against United’s table topping rivals however. A draw would be more than acceptable, keeping the home side within two points of first place, even if Arsenal handle Everton this afternoon.
Maybe such doom and gloom sounds traitorous coming from the lips of a United supporter, but reality bites. You can bet Dennis Thatcher didn’t think he was marrying a Miss Universe contestant when he proposed to his iron maiden. It’s better to go into relationships like this with your eyes wide open.
Believe me, I know.
How exactly is Kompany in awful form?
Ask the manager who is reluctant to play him.
He was coming back from injury.
So poor form equates the same for injured players eh? Gotta love these know nothing rags.
Look mate he played an hour for Belgium. Their doctors obviously thought he was healthy, and so did he. Yet Pellegrini has played him all of about 5 minutes since the break. The manager has also said he is impressed by the form of Mangala and Otamendi as a pair. That suggests he is not so happy with Kompany’s form. Given he’s the captain, is healthy in spite of Pellegrini’s attempt to keep him out of the Belgian squad, and isn’t playing any meaningful minutes, I’m sticking with the opinion his form has dipped, be it from injury or otherwise. When he forces his way back into the lineup, my view will change.
Ah right, I see what you’re saying now, you’re judging his form without having a clue about his form, cleverly done.
So you don’t trust your manager’s judgment? Because his decisions should tell you a great deal. Team captain getting mop-up minutes in consecutive matches. If he’s playing, he’s healthy–no injury issue. If he wasn’t match fit he’d be getting more minutes to get there. Therefore the gaffer doesn’t rate him, and that comes down to current form. Being team captain, if he’s anything close to top form he’s playing. Is he playing? This is actually very similar to what has happened to John Terry at Chelsea. Ridicule me all you want, but watch it play out.
You seem to be missing the basic point, but that’s cool, not everyone can see what’s right in front of them.
Kompany was injured, but playing well prior to that, so his form was good. He was out for a while and just started getting fit again prior to the Belgium game, Pellers thought it was too soon, but Vinny wanted to play in a momentous game for the Belgians. He played an hour, so this would suggest he wasn’t fully fit at that stage. Pellers thought he still needed some more recuperation time, so withheld him, which given he’d only had 60mins of game time was wise.
‘If he’s playing, he’s healthy–no injury issue’, well clearly not, as he only played 60mins for Belgium.
‘Therefore the gaffer doesn’t rate him, and that comes down to current form. Being team captain, if he’s anything close to top form he’s playing’, Clearly the Gaffer does, as he’s our captain. Maybe it comes down to fitness rather current form, but you seem to think they are one and the same. By that rationale, Shaw’s form has been awful and will be for quite a while yet.
‘ Being team captain, if he’s anything close to top form he’s playing. Is he playing?’, again you’re equating form to fitness. His form was fine prior to his injury, he was playing well, City didn’t conceded a goal in their first 5 games, he played in all of those. Fitness is another matter, so clearly the Gaffer felt he was short of the necessary fitness, as did Wilmots who only played him 60mins.
It’s cool, I get it, you’re got a United blog and are trying to stick the knife into City, but it’s all a bit smoke and mirrors fella and your argument is built on shifting sand.
‘Ridicule me all you want, but watch it play out.’ Don’t need to ridicule you, you’re doing a great job on yourself without my help.
The point you’re missing is that you give someone who isn’t match fit more than two or three minutes in each of consecutive matches. Maybe you put him in at 80 minutes in one, then 60-70 minutes in the second, building him up, but certainly more than the scraps Kompany was given. If he’s too injured for that, then you don’t play him at all. Pellegrini’s company line may be using the Belgium controversy to keep his captain’s demotion out of the media, but actions speak louder than words.
You may disagree with that, and that’s fine. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. Even City supporters.
‘The point you’re missing is that you give someone who isn’t match fit more than two or three minutes in each of consecutive matches.’
Or maybe his club manager felt that the 60mins for his National team team came too early and he was therefore taking precautions.
‘Maybe you put him in at 80 minutes in one, then 60-70 minutes in the second, building him up, but certainly more than the scraps Kompany was given.’
Remind me again, which team do you manage?
‘If he’s too injured for that, then you don’t play him at all. ‘ Seems you’re contradicting yourself there and you can’t seem to see beyond the difference between an injury and fitness. I’ll break it down for you, Kompany was ‘injured’, he needed to regain ‘fitness’ following the ‘injury’.
‘captain’s demotion’, otherwise known as injury, but keep clutching those straws.
‘Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. Even City supporters’
Cheers and thanks for allowing us an opinion, I look forward to the 404 page not found message,
‘Martin Palazzotto is the former editor of the now defunct World Football Columns. He also has written for other deceased football blogs, including the Equaliser, the Gib Football Show, Man and Ball, and strange bOUnce. Hopefully, that trail of carnage does not bode ill for Stretty News. ‘
Nice article, thx
Thank you.