"This city isn't big enough for two teams..."
As the old adage goes, there is only one thing worse than being talked about, and that's not being talked about. And, my god, Alex Ferguson is talking about us. Incessantly so, perhaps. The so-called master of mind games has clearly been riled by City's relative rise to the ascendency, and it was reassuring to hear manager Mark Hughes brushing aside his former mentor's inane ramblings. "I'm sure Sir Alex is sick and tired of people sticking a microphone under his nose and asking him about us rather than United. That hasn't happened in recent years, and I can understand why he gets a little bit irritated about it, which is quite amusing from my point of view".
Ferguson, meanwhile, sobbed “It's City isn't it? They are a small club with a small mentality". "All they can talk about is Manchester United; they can't get away from it", he bawled, talking about City for the, um, 768th time this season. It's irony on a base level, but we like it. In the mind game stakes, it's City 1 United 0.
Ferguson was quick to point out that City have had an easy start to the season, and granted we haven't had the relatively straightforward task of, say, a game against newly promoted Burnley. Eh? Oh... I forget my original point.
It's a shame that we make the short trip out of Manchester missing our four main strikers (Robinho, Adebayor, Tevez and Santa Cruz), leaving Craig Bellamy as our only fit forward. That's a total of five strikers in our squad (six at a push, if you can include the perenially injured and inept Benjani). Not quite the "ridiculous" amount of centre forwards Ferguson alludes to (indeed, it's the same number he has in his bloated squad, not that he ever lets facts come in the way of a cheap shot in the press).
Sadly we'll be without the services of the mercurial Emmanuel Adebayor, who has been a revelation since his move from Arsenal. A couple of weeks ago Ferguson was quick to dismiss the Togo forward, declaring that Arsene Wenger always lets players go when they are past their best, yet yesterday announced that "Adebayor is their star player, there is no question about that". Still, Ferguson and consistency have never been the most comfortable of bed fellows.
Despite the furore from some City fans, the three game ban on Adebayor is fair and just, although the fact it was fast-tracked by an FA committee led by David Gill leaves a little to be desired. Obviously there's no conflict of interest, what with him being the Chief Executive of Manchester United, no sirreee.
The notion that he may be banned for further games for his over exuberant celebration against Arsenal, however, is absurd. Firstly, there is precedent with Gary "Chuckle" Neville's celebration after United scored against Liverpool (Neville received a £5,000 fine and suspended two match sentence). Secondly, are football fans so lame now that they are unable to witness a player (whom, incidentally, they have barracked all game) celebrating in front of them without sobbing to the police about it?! Deary me. As Hughes wryly asserted, he never actually left the field of play.
There have been some suggestions that the throwing of bananas at Adebayor by Arsenal was in some way racially motivated, but I refute that accusation; I suspect it's just because their fans are so bloody borgeouis that they take fruit (fair trade, no doubt) to the game. "Go on Ralph, throw that Kiwi fruit at him!". Pah. It was fortunate for Adebayor that we weren't playing, well, pretty much any other team in the country, as he would have been pelted with coins and bottles, rather than an appetising full fruit salad.
Anyway, on to the game on Sunday. United are clearly motivated for this one. London born Rio Ferdinand, in a fairly dismissive sideswipe at such a progessive metropolis as Manchester, declared that "this city isn't big enough for two teams". Fortunately for him, this city only actually contains one team, and it's not his. Roll on Sunday....
Ric Turner
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