As the International break nears to a close the return of the Premier League is on the horizon. So I decided to look back at our last league outing at the Etihad and get the thoughts of the FanSided Man City Square team. Here is their 5Q review for Manchester City vs Manchester United.
Question 1
Going into the game how did you feel, were you confident you could get the win?
@crookdpc (Man City Square): I never feel confident going into derby games. They can so easily be turned on their head by a single decision and some of the best games come against the run of form. We scored some famous victories against United when we were rubbish, so to rule you guys out now would be a mistake!
Question 2
City go 1-0 up early on and the score remains 1-0 as the teams go in at halftime, thoughts? Were both managers happy?
It was a surprise to me Utd were still in the game at that point. We blistered into a great start but made some mistakes and it seemed for a little while the tide could turn. I never thought we would lose though, but I thought you would score. Mourinho may have been happy but Guardiola wasn’t and it was clear as he walked off.
Question 3
Sergio Aguero makes it 2-0 but United pull one back, were you thinking, ‘here we go again’?
@crookdpc (Man City Square): No it never felt like that. It felt more under control than that. Ederson gets bored in goal and livens things up. That’s what he does. But the game was important to us. It felt like our Chelsea away win last season. Feels like the start of something.
Question 4
The final whistle goes and the match finishes 3-1 to the hosts, City MOTM and United MOTM?
@crookdpc (Man City Square): We weathered a minor storm and came through by shifting back up the gears. It didn’t feel like United had any gears to go up. There were a lot of good City performances on the pitch and it’s difficult to choose between Fernandinho and David Silva for MOTM.
The United MOTM is harder. I can’t pick as they seemed to lack a plan or strategy and no one did anything of note. It’s not because they are bad but they were exposed.
Question 5
The performance demonstrated the gulf between the two sides. What are your predictions for how the teams will fare prior to the next derby in March?
@crookdpc (Man City Square): There is a gulf but there shouldn’t be. Utd seem to be buying galacticos without any coherent plan. The coaching and tactical set up looks weak. The team look tired and off the pace. It’s like they have been tipped into the pitch and haven’t trained together. Your team seems designed to be taller and more muscular than the opposition.
United will claw some results out of games, by risking little and overpowering sides. I expect United to be top 5 by March and maybe even top 4. Next 10 games are critical for us. If we maintain a couple of points lead then I expect we will be on course for the title. We will win at Old Trafford!