Source: Man_City
Gary Owen column
Buckle your seat belts and get ready for the biggest derby since... well... since the last one! That is how it has gone in Manchester football. Every time United and City come up against each other these days, there seems to be something big at stake. Last time it was a place in the Carling Cup final, this time it is our Champions League ambitions going up against United's last throw of the dice in the title race. Some City fans are seeing this as possibly a landmark derby. They feel that if City win it, in years to come we will all look back at April 17, 2010 as the date on which the tide truly began to turn. I don't see it that way at all. I think the tide began to turn on the day our new owners took over, and regardless of the result on Saturday, we will continue to move forward to the point where we are sitting at the same table as United and Chelsea - and indeed Barcelona and Inter Milan. Fergie senses it as well. That is why he fielded his strongest team against us in the two cup semi-finals, and even accepted an extra match suspension for Rio Ferdinand in order to let him play in the second leg. There has been plenty at stake in derbies down the years - like the 1974 classic when United's fate was hanging in the balance. But you have to go back a long way to the last time there was so much at stake for BOTH clubs, in such a positive way. Perhaps the last time was 1968, when City won 3-1 at Old Trafford to begin a run which carried them to the league title, and pipped United into second place. I believe that if City win this one it would take a Herculean effort by Tottenham to pull back the gap, especially if they don't beat Arsenal. But first City have to win. United have won two out of three this season, but both times it was last-second goals. It's not often in the past 20 years that City fans have looked forward to derbies, but that is certainly the case this time. What do you think? Have your say. | Submit Comments| Comments (29)| PrintWhat's this? Emaildel.icio.usDiggredditFacebookStumbleUponNewsvineGoogle BookmarksNetscapeTechnoratiWindows LiveYahoo! MyWebMa.gnolia
