I'll get to Sir Alex's press conference in a moment but first off, Vidic's comments on Man City say almost everything that needs to be said:"They have improved their squad and look a much better team than last year, but to say they are the best team in Manchester is crazy."If they win the Premiership title for the next 10 years in a row then maybe we can talk again, but until then we don't just believe we are the best in Manchester but also the best in Europe.
"I won't be happy with anything but Premiership and Champions League medals this year, one of them won't make us happy, that shows just how big this club is."
Having read that, let's read the opposite end of the scale - Terry Venables getting over-excited:
But with United seemingly always chasing trophies and City perennially battling relegation, none have been significant. Until tomorrow.
Because make no mistake, a City win would change the footballing landscape in Manchester - and beyond - for ever.
I know that no trophies are ever handed out in September. And the season is still in its infancy.
But a victory for the visitors would announce that City have genuinely arrived and are serious players in these season's title race.
Does Terry Venables work for Sky? Talk about building the game up a little much. Yes, Man City are more of a threat than usual, but "change the football landscape forever?" If they win the title come the end of the season, then that would be a bit of a change, but one game? Even a derby with more riding on it than usual. Calm down. I should also add that I'm not just downplaying the game in case we get beat. I fully expect us to win, and win well, and a defeat would be pretty awful, but I don't really think it would "change the football landscape forever."
Des Kelly talks sense on the subject when he points out that City still have a small club mentality, despite their new found wealth:
Had Ferguson taken a little media advice before he stepped into his press conference (hilarious idea, I know) he could have dealt with City's poster stunt with arch indifference.
Rather than gripe that City were 'cocky and arrogant', he could have brushed them away, saying with a chuckle: 'The poster made me smile, but not as much as winning an 11th league title did last season.'
Put down their quip with your own quip.
But that's not his way. Ferguson can be charming out of the football arena, but show him a red rag before a game, or even a sky blue one, and he will come charging at it with a snort. It's the desire that has kept him so competitive for all these years.
It is why Ferguson called City a 'small club with a small mentality'. This is not some sign he is suddenly rattled. If that were the case, he has been rattled these past twentysomething years.
He just likes a scrap.
His 'small club' jibe is obviously wrong. City have the backing to be considered a very large club indeed. They might not reach their full potential this season, but it would defy logic if they were not a major force within a couple of seasons, a factor that has invigorated the Premier League and made this encounter so exciting.
But, for now, Ferguson is right about the charge about clinging on to a small mentality. Amusing as it was, the poster was the proof. City have to be be bigger than that now.
Besides, the last laugh is always had on the pitch, as Ferguson knows better than anyone.
Their words are currently speaking louder than their actions. To get us into the Sir Alex press conference, here's Des Kelly debunking the myth that Sir Alex responding to City is some sign that he's scared:
The mere fact that Sir Alex Ferguson has been irritated by that 'Welcome To Manchester' billboard with Carlos Tevez's face plastered all over it is - as everybody appears at great pains to point out - being taken as a sign he fears City will eclipse United this season.
We're told Ferguson is merely advertising his own insecurities. When he spits that United will never be underdogs, 'not in my lifetime', Old Trafford is meant to be shifting on its foundations.
But I wouldn't get too carried away with that idea, not this season anyway.
United still believe their main rivals are Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. City remain on the outside, shouting the odds, heckling their neighbour and trying to claim a slice of the limelight, as their posters demonstrate.
To the press conference, and The Independent have a nice bit of flavour:
It was one of those wonderful pieces of theatre which will be so missed when Sir Alex Ferguson has packed up his tracksuit and gone.
Someone had asked him whether Manchester United will ever go into a derby match as underdogs and for 15 seconds or more he eyed his inquisitor, the hint of a glint in those narrow eyes, and you wondered whether that individual or Manchester City would be on the receiving end of the full force of his opinion. "What time is it?" he said, at last. "I think it is time for me to leave." And as he clambered from his seat, an answer to that question... "Not in my lifetime."
It was such a measured and excellent response, a match for all the cool insouciance which has made Mark Hughes the winner of the phoney war which has been raging across Manchester all summer, that a part of you hoped that no-one would remind Ferguson that he couldn't leave the table just yet because there was another round of interviews to get through. They did. Back to the table he came.
Onto his comments, and his gentle put down of Tevez is nice:
"Whether Tevez plays does not bother me one bit," he said. "Their best player is not playing. Emmanuel Adebayor has been their star player, no question about that. He has scored in every game and his absence is a loss."
As is his comment on the price City paid for him:
“If we had wanted seriously to buy Carlos Tevez, we’d have been more serious.
“We made an offer that was well in the compass of the player’s ability.
“When I read now that the fee was not £24m, it is £47m, there is no way we could even think about that
“I thought £24m was the figure. Obviously, it wasn’t. They had obviously agreed it long before the end of the season.
“That goes without saying because they never came back to us."
On the "bigger" rivalry with Liverpool:
"Liverpool will always be the derby game because of the history," he said. "When I came down here they were the king pins of England they had won four European championships. They had won quite a few league titles in that period from Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan to Kenny [Dalglish]. My aim was to do well against them. To try and turn that round. It's hard for me to go against history. The history is there with Liverpool."
Speaking of the rivalry with Liverpool, Mark Lawrenson has this to say today:
Sir Alex Ferguson had a pop at me this week for writing off Manchester United’s chances this season.
Ferguson would probably have every good reason to be upset if anyone had dismissed United from the title race.
What I actually said was that it will be a lot harder for United without Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.
Via the magic of looking at his past columns we can see what he actually said:
Tottenham entertaining Manchester United is one of those real glamour games that you look forward to each season.
But rarely will United go there with so many doubts about their potential this season. This is surely one of the weakest United squads for some years.
Tottenham are in great form, Harry Redknapp has once again unlocked potential in promising attacking players and they are terrific to watch.
It will be a cracking game but United will not have it all their own [way]. And that will probably be the story of their season.
I don't see the names of Tevez or Ronaldo there. And he comes as close to writing off our chances as it's possible to come without risking having an opinion I would say. Idiot.
Sir Alex worries over Rio's injuries:
“It is a concern for us and something we could have done without.
“He has one game back and picks up another injury when he really needs some games to get back to his maximum.
“We don’t need to make a decision right away but he really has to do something positive in training to give himself a chance.
“We hope he is there though. We want all our big players for this particular game.”
City will discover Ferguson has sympathy with them over the inflated price of their transfer targets. "They are buying good players. Maybe they have overspent but that's what happens. It happens to us too. When United come looking for a player, they add something on because it is United. We pay the price for being Manchester United. "We paid £24 million for Rooney at 18 years of age. People were saying 'Christ, what are they thinking about?' We had to look at the long-term picture. If we sign him at 18, can we get him for 10-12 years? It makes sense then. Cristiano Ronaldo was the same (bought for £12.2 million, sold for £80 million). Rio Ferdinand was the same: £29 million.''Some comments by Bryan Robson on Giggs make The Telegraph:
“Ryan is terrific in the centre of midfield and, for me, he has been United’s best player this season. At Spurs last week, he was top-class and he was just as impressive against Arsenal.
“The reason for that is that he has steadied himself down with his passes and he is now excellent in comparison to when he was a kid.
“Everything was done quickly when Ryan was younger, but his experience has seen him calm things down and nobody can match his passing range.
“He didn’t play in Turkey against Besiktas in midweek, so that tells me that he will start against City. The boss, Sir Alex, knows that this is the perfect game for Ryan.”
United have their detractors, but nobody utters anything but praise for Giggs.Kevin McCarra on The Guardian blog has a pointless article thrown straight into the Rooney-needs-to-mature file/bin.
The club confirm Park's new contract.
Anderson on the Man City game:
"This derby comes at a very positive time for us - City could be without Emmanuel Adebayor, Robinho, Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez."However hard they work, City's attack will be inferior and this is a serious problem for them.
"I prefer to play against teams with all their stars but if our rivals are affected by injuries it's hardly our problem."
"Nobody talks about him any more."We all know as players Ronaldo didn't join the best club in the world, we all know he left the best club in the world."
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