In the initial days of the league, Manchester City was a small club owing to its low promotional relegation due to low success rates.
Manchester United was a very large and prestigious club with high financial status and back-to-back success in their records then. But in recent years a drastic change in the pattern has been observed with Manchester City emerging as a threat to Manchester United which is one of the most successful clubs known in the history of the premier league. Manchester City witnessed a back-to-back win in the league in recent years increasing its dominance and power over Manchester United emerging as one of the most powerful as well as a successful club in the league.
Manchester United understood Manchester City as a potential threat to their glory and success which can be well understood from the following statement- “What he recognised with Manchester City very early on was that there was potential to cause United to bother,” said Simon Bajkowski about Sir Alex Ferguson manager of the Manchester United Club. It was obvious that such a situation gave rise to a significant rivalry between the two clubs.
This can be well understood from this statement by Sir Alex Ferguson the then manager of Manchester United Club after they won the derby at Old Trafford dramatically with a score of 4-3 – “Sometimes you have a noisy neighbour. You cannot do anything about that, they will always be noisy. You just have to get on with your life, put your television on and turn it up a bit louder.” The rivalry between the two clubs was indirectly acknowledged by the former manager of Manchester United Club through this statement.
But what could have led to such drastic changes in the equation between the clubs and the gradual emergence of Manchester City club as powerful and glorious winners? Let’s analyse it in detail.
Manchester City’s dramatic takeover by Sheikh Mansour
The most dramatic decision of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan during September of the year 2018 to acquire the Manchester City Club which was on the defeating side for the last 32 seasons and finished the premier league in the ninth position changed the fate of the Manchester City Club for the better. Sheikh Mansour’s takeover of the Manchester City club had placed the club in an equal and strong financial position and status like that of Manchester United. This enabled the club to buy talented and efficient players in their team ensuring the success of the club and increasing its prestige.
Joining Of Efficient Players In The Manchester City Club After The Acquisition
As mentioned earlier, the takeover of the Manchester City Club made it financially stable may have motivated many of the efficient players to join the team resulting in the success of the team. One of the most important reasons for the change in power dynamics between Manchester United and Manchester City is Carlos Tevez who is such a talented and successful player leaving Manchester United at the end of his contract with the club and joining the rival club Manchester City.
This situation added fuel to the fire of rivalry already present between the two clubs. Moreover, players like David Silva, Yaya Toure, Mario Boutelli, Striker Sergio Aguero played vital roles in the journey of the Manchester City Club towards the victory stand. One of the most noteworthy contributions was that of Richard Dunne who was seen more than 350 times playing for Manchester City as the captain. His dedication to the club is depicted through the following statement- “WhenI was playing, it meant everything to City fans. For us, it was the biggest game of the year” was said by Richard Dunne. “It had that period where the game meant everything and not just in terms of local bragging rights.”
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Retirement From Manchester United
It can be rightfully said that Sir Alex Ferguson was one of the backbones of Manchester United club and he was extremely efficient in managing the team. Manchester United club depended very much on the managerial abilities of Fergusson for successful coaching and winning the games. Hence it is obvious that Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in the year 2013 was a strong blow for the club that made the club unstable. Moreover, the club was going through a transient period and adapting to the new changes and was in search of an efficient manager who was responsible for the deteriorating performance of the club.
Finally, from all these, it can be easily implied that the turmoil situation in Manchester United’s managerial position and economic stability owing to the acquisition of Manchester City club and joining of talented players in the club led the club to achieve back to back success in the Pep Guardiola during the years 2019 and 2020 by winning league titles leaving the Manchester United behind and it is expected by the Goal’s Manchester United correspondent Charlotte Duncker that “City aren’t going to start a downward spiral any time soon.”
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