Is the Manchester Derby the new stylish rivalry in England? More importantly, is it the new Liverpool vs. Chelsea? Will the rivalry extend beyond the boundaries of the Premier League? Or, more importantly, the city limits of Manchester?
With the recent development of both Manchester clubs falling out of the Champions League, and into the Europa League, it brings a lot of interesting thoughts to light. As much as both teams feel as though one is superior to the other, in a lot of ways, they are stuck on a level playing field. They are currently the top two teams in the Premier League. They drew each other in the FA Cup. They both have been eliminated from the Champions League at the Group Stage. The only thing that either team has over the other, is that City are in the semi-finals of the League Cup.
For the better part of the last six years, the marquee match that you could not seem to avoid was Chelsea vs. Liverpool. They were playing each other five to seven times a season. And each of those matches were intense dramatic affairs that were not to be missed. Especially in that run from 2005 through 2008. While Liverpool may not have been in strong contention for the Premier League title, they fought valiantly for any hardware they could get their hands on.
On the other side of that rivalry, Chelsea were a force in England. Under the management of Jose Mourinho, the west London club assailed heights they had never thought of. They were a force on the pitch. They dominated England in ways that had not been seen in quite some time. But, unfortunately, Chelsea could never really get over the hump, outside of the domestic campaigns.
For many years now, Manchester United has been the dominant club, in a lot of regards, in the city of Manchester. However, in the last few years, with the assistance of Sheikh Mansour, City look to be forging a trail to rival United’s. City wants to, to borrow a phrase of Sir Alex Ferguson’s regarding Liverpool, “Knock United of its fucking perch.” And if this season so far is any indication, City may have the groundwork in place to do so. But it won’t be for a while.
United, on the other hand, are a club in some form of upheaval. I cannot call it a crisis, but it definitely does not bear the hallmarks of stability. There are the injury woes that seem to stack up more and more with each week. There is the discontent from supporters since the club did not buy the services of Wesley Sneijder. There is discord between the Supporters Trust and the ownership of the Glazers. But, through all of this, Sir Alex Ferguson has managed to win at least once piece of hardware every year from 2005 onward. While things may look dire for Ferguson and United, he will navigate these stormy seas with little problem. He has navigated his club through more frustrating times.
So, with that in mind, where does the comparison to the Liverpool and Chelsea rivalry come in? Well, for starters, there is the frequency with which there are fixtures. In the last two to three seasons, both Manchester clubs have spend a lot of time facing each other. There was the scintillating series of matches between the two clubs in 2010. Matches have taken on a life of their own. Filled with moments that have come to resonate both positively and negatively, with each fan base.
There have been controversial goals. Michael Owen’s versus City, in the 96th minute of stoppage time. Or Luis Garcia’s phantom goal against Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League semi-finals second leg. In the minds of those who have been a part of these rivalries, these goals have helped to define the antipathy that exists between the clubs.
But there have been other controversial moments that threw gasoline on the fire. There was the transfer of Carlos Tevez to City, from United. Indeed, a far higher profile move than Fernando Torres from Liverpool to Chelsea. The Tevez move created far more animosity within the confines of the Manchester Derby. Tevez, before his petulance got the best of him again, was hated by United supporters and cheered by City. The coup to bring Tevez to City, was considered to be the first in many steps of gradually plying the empire out of United’s hands.
There is the animosity that exists between managers. Or at least the perceived hostility. Part of what made the Liverpool rivalry with Chelsea so much fun, was watching how Rafa Benitez would respond to Mourinho’s goadings. Much in the same way that there is quite a bit of intrigue as to how Roberto Mancini will respond to Sir Alex Ferguson’s latest commentary on the state of football in Manchester.
With time, I think the Manchester Derby could easily become the match to watch in England every season. It is poised to replace the derby between Liverpool and Manchester United as the most heated rivalry in England. With the continual rise of City, and the seemingly unexpected turns that United is taking, the history will merely build upon itself. The intrigue will grow of its own volition. And the stakes that come with each match will mean more to each set of players, managers, and supporters. Especially as either team continues to vie for English dominance parlayed into European staying-power. Either way, I see a future most interesting for the Manchester Derby, especially now as it moves outside of England, and into the realm of European competition.
