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Talking points from the Manchester derby

September 10, the first Manchester Derby in this new dawn in the North West. José Mourinho vs Pep Guardiola (yes, we’ve had enough of that too) and two new look teams who appear to be the favourites for the Premier League trophy come May.

There was plenty of cynical talk coming into this game, with the pragmatist Mourinho taking on the idealist Guardiola. A cagey affair was on the cards with City dominating the possession and United sitting back, waiting for an opportunity to counter Guardiola’s team.

However, it didn’t quite happen like that. In fact, after the first 30 minutes in which Man City relentlessly pressurised Manchester United, the game was frenetic, chaotic and a spectacle.

Here are a few talking points from the first Manchester Derby of the new season:

Claudio Bravo’s a liability

The narrative was already written: Claudio Bravo would make a basic mistake and cost Manchester City the game. While that didn’t play out to full effect, the ex-Barcelona goalkeeper was all over the shop. At the end of the first-half, Bravo dropped a relatively easy catch from an in-swinging cross and gifted Zlatan Ibrahimović a goal which, in turn, gave the Red Devils a route back into the game.

Bravo was bought from Barcelona to replace Joe Hart due to his superior footballing skills, and while you can see that he was acting in a way Manuel Neuer did for Bayern under Pep by standing on the halfway line, the Spanish goalkeeper was nearly caught out on more than one occasion from over-complicating the situation.

A debatable decision should’ve been awarded in Manchester United’s favour when Bravo lost control of the ball as Wayne Rooney hounded him down in his box. As Rooney was going in for a 50/50 challenge to touch the ball past Bravo, the City goalkeeper nastily leapt into the challenge and caught the England captain’s shin. If this ‘tackle’ had happened anywhere else on the pitch, it would’ve been a foul and a sending off, but Mark Clattenburg obviously thought otherwise.

Hart might not have the ball skills that Bravo possesses, but he is, more often than not, a safe pair of hands and an excellent retriever of a high ball. Bravo’s weakness is now obvious: high pressurised crosses placed on the six-yard box. Teams will look to exploit this going forward and Pep Guardiola will need to address this problem immediately.

Difference in playmakers

Yesterday there was a distinct difference in quality between the two playmakers of both teams. Kevin De Bruyne ran the show for Manchester City, in-between the lines and always looking to attempt a final killer ball or having shot on goal. The Belgian international was immense and elevated the Citizen’s game to another level.

Comparing that to Rooney’s performance, in which he contributed very little, is alarming for Manchester United as they look to reclaim their former glories. Every team needs a playmaker that can create something out of nothing – that can turn the game on its head within one swift movement. Arsenal have Mesut Özil, City have De Bruyne, Chelsea have Eden Hazard, Spurs have Dele Alli and Man United have Rooney. A Rooney that’s lost his way and on a major decline.

Pep’s players understand him, but José will get there

It was evident to see inside 30 minutes that Guardiola’s players have bought into his vision and philosophy. They played with slick movement and a clinical edge in the final third that may have been missing before. There was a real confident approaching to City’s game – an authority that wasn’t there under Manuel Pellegrini. Pep’s done incredibly well to come in and teach the players how to play his football.

Mourinho’s first four game have mostly been encouraging, it’s just a dampener on spirits would’ve taken place when they lost the Manchester Derby at Old Trafford. The Premier League season is a long, tortuous campaign with many ups and downs that will become turning points. We’re three games into the new season, it’s nothing to worry about for Man United fans, it’s now up to Mourinho to lift up his players and put this one behind them.

José’s a great man-manager and we’ll see sooner rather than later whether he has the trust and belief of his players – the next step is to make sure they’re all on the same wavelength.

 

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