RedsUnite: a man utd blog

When I write these match reviews, I normally do quite a bit of research. I look into recent trends, home form, away form, historical successes, historical failures and any other indicator that may be a sign of how United will perform in their next match. Tomorrow, however, is Derby Day, so all these things can be discarded.

Let’s be certain, United are the stronger club. We have yet to lose at Old Trafford, while City has only won two games away from home. We are 6-1-1 in our last eight fixtures, City are 1-5-2. We stand 17 points clear of City, with that gap only increasing as the season goes on. If Manchester City went by any other name, I would be touting the inevitability of United’s victory tomorrow, but they do not go by other names. They are the Blues, our long and storied rival.

Can you really predict the outcome of a match between rivals so fierce that one cannot be assured of a minute’s silence to observe the 50th anniversary of the death of 23 people, one of them, Frank Swift, a former City player. The history of animosity between these clubs is well documented and needs little rehashing.

Here, in America, we don’t really have rivalries that reach such a fevered pitch, on or off the field. The geographical separation between teams is such where there isn’t the intimacy you find in European rivalries. Aside from some rivalries in the Boston/New York City area and between our University teams, teams’ geographic support bases seldom overlap in large numbers. We do, however, have strong enough rivalries to know that matches between storied adversaries are not easily predicted. From the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, to the North Carolina Tarheels and the Duke Blue Devils, to the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes, we have our fair share of feuding teams. While two opposing teams may be having drastically different seasons–with one team enjoying great success and the other floundering–nothing matters when those storied teams face off.

While difficult to predict, United has all the inspiration it needs. Coming off of a poor showing against Tottenham Hotspur, United will look to regain its form against their crosstown rivals. With Arsenal not showing any signs of slowing, every result is crucial for United if it is to fulfill its lofty ambitions. Furthermore, Sunday’s match will be played in honor of the Munich Air Disaster, that horrid day that saw 23 people die fifty years ago. And finally, of course, United face City. What more inspiration do you need. I look for an inspired side, for if our men can not rise to this occasion they are unworthy of the kits on their backs.