Manchester United v Manchester City: war points to a bore draw
It’s Manchester United v Manchester City. It’s the game between Pep Guardiola v Jose Mourinho, what the Guardian calls a “poisonous rivalry”.
The media is awash with hype and hoopla. The game will be cagey, and very probably not all that thrilling. But to the Sun it is “WAR”.
As Zlatan “swipes” Maroune Fellaini sharpens his elbows. “It will be a war, with a lot of intensity,” says the big Belgian. “I expect it will be a beautiful match in a special atmosphere. I do not dare speak out about who will win. It’s really 50-50.”
Not exactly Churchillian, eh. We will fight them on the beaches and, at the end of the day, it will be 50-50.
The Guardian leads with the handbags:
Paul Hayward writes in the Daily Telegraph.
“The United-City duel arrives without the political intensity of the Clasico, but a league which feeds on personality clashes was never going to pass up the chance to frame Saturday’s protagonists as two warring princes who moved their battleground to England.”
Oliver Kay hones in on the money in The Times.
“In the land where cash is king, prepare for the ultimate demonstration of the Premier League’s wealth and power. For all the inevitable focus on the geniuses in direct conflict in the respective dugouts, the one record that Saturday’s Manchester derby is certain to break is for the two most expensive starting line-ups, which at a total of just under £600m are set to make it the most expensive match in history.”
As for the actual football, Jonathan Wilson has insight:
If both managers go in as they have until now, it will be United’s 4-2-3-1 against 4‑1‑4‑1, two shapes that match up straightforwardly for marking purposes…
It’ll be a thriller, then.
Posted: 9th, September 2016 | In: Back pages, Manchester City, manchester united, Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
