The battle for the throne!

The battle for the throne!

There has always been a bitter rivalry between Manchester United and Manchester City that never ceases to extinguish. United has always been the stronger side with countless trophies and titles over the years.  Manchester City had their glory days in the 70’s and 80’s, but as soon as Sir Alex Ferguson stepped on to the pitch as the manager for the Red Devils, City has never been able to regain its form.

  Before Saturday, the two Manchester clubs were locked at seventy points with both having played 29 games.  Unfortunately, City was unable to maintain the current standings as they tied with Stoke City.  United plays Fulham today and will be looking to obtain a three point lead over their arch rivals. 

 The City side lacked ingenuity and the usual creativeness that players of the likes of Yaya Touré, David Silva, Mario Balotelli and Samir Nasri bring to the table.  The second half of the match vs. Stoke City displayed many of City’s weaknesses and gave critics even more reason to believe that once again the club will be overshadowed by its bitter rival, Manchester United.  If United emerges victorious against Fulham, they will secure a three point lead. 

One of the factors that contributed to City’s floundering performance is Patrick Viera’s brainless comments directed toward Sir Alex Ferguson.  The French international and now City Coach suggested that resurrecting Paul Scholes from retirement was a decision based on desperation and showed that United was lacking depth in their squad.  The remarks were possibly sparked by City’s uncertainty and fear of being conquered by United.  The statement was plain stupid and added more fuel to the already burning fire. Viera ignored the reality that Scholes has been playing extremely well and has been a valuable asset to the United squad.  

The Scotsman, Sir Alex Ferguson fired back by saying "They played a player the other night who refused to go on the pitch, one that the manager said he'd never play again and takes a five-month holiday in Argentina. Could that come under the description of desperation?"   Ferguson’s counter attack was sufficient to quiet the Frenchman and hints that Viera’s comments just added to Ferguson’s eagerness to win the Premier League.  The feud was similar to a peasant insulting a king. Viera has probably jeopardized his club’s hopes of winning the league by adding undue pressure to his squad with his naive remarks. 

I think that United will prevail against Fulham and go on to win the League again!  It looks as though United will secure its place on the throne for yet another season!

By: Tristan Haerens