Man Utd must make pressure their ally in first Manchester derby at Old Trafford
A ‘pressure-cauldron’ is how Manchester United boss Marc Skinner opted to describe Sunday’s upcoming Manchester derby.
The Skinner-ism is colourful and typically on-brand but there’s arguably no better description for a match that thrusts two title contenders with two points separating them into the bear pit of an early derby.
The occasion has finally been awarded the stage it deserves. United will face off against Manchester City in front of a club-record crowd at Old Trafford, marking the first time the women’s Manchester derby has relished the Theatre of Dreams as its backdrop.
If there's a favourite to be found between the two teams, United arguably cut figure, though the margins delineating their supremacy are trivial at best. United are still unbeaten in the league, sit third in the table and are bidding to ensure that their dumping out of the Champions League qualifying rounds last month isn’t the defining characteristic of a season once full of promise.
Meanwhile, City’s ebullient start to the season has stumbled after suffering successive defeats. While the season is still fresh and young, a third would represent a falter that could be different to recover from if they are to keep a European spot in their eyeline.
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All of which sits below the thrumming, pulsing weight of one of the league’s fiercest derbies, which has featured 33 goals and three red cards across 12 clashes (all three belonging to City).
“There's pressure on Manchester City, there's pressure on Manchester United," Skinner said ahead of Sunday. "There's a pressure cauldron for everyone and whoever's going to deal with it better on the day will create better chances to win the game and that's what we want us to do."
Last season, United managed to make pressure their ally. United not only claimed their first derby win over City in front of a then-club-record crowd at Leigh Sports Village, but three points were seized through Lucia Garcia’s injury-time winner to keep a thrilling title race against Chelsea alive until the league’s final day, while effectively consigning City to a season without European football.
Lucia Garcia celebrates scoring the winner against Manchester City last seasonThe repercussions of Sunday’s match are less immediate but equally weighty. Two points separate the sides, three places in the league as City hang in sixth while United sit third. And while it’s difficult to look beyond the sheer glory of derby triumph in isolation, the ultimate winner will be the one who keeps league leaders Chelsea (who have 16 points and an unsullied record thus far) within touching distance.
“It always will for some people,” Skinner said when asked whether a derby result could skew perceptions of a season. “If you lose a game, it’s the end of the world.
"You win a game, you’re the best team in the world. From our perspective, it’s about consistency, and we need to have consistency against Manchester City."
Skinner added: “Consistent defending, consistent in attacking, we have to build effectively. We have to create that consistency. We don’t get skewed by wins, draws or losses. If we’ve performed well, because we know on our day, if we perform well, then we’ll have a great chance of winning the game.”
A consistent performance could also lend a hand in United's effort to establish itself as one of the league's consistent contenders in Europe. United have struggled for consistency thus far this season, relying instead on their in-house Get Out of Jail Free card that is veteran striker Rachel Williams in injury time.
No other team has scored more second-half goals than United since the start of last season, with Skinner's side boasting 44 in total. That penchant for leaving it late will gleefully be punished by City if allowed, especially with the return of defender Alex Greenwood from concussion protocol.
"Remaining unbeaten now is the objective for the rest of the season," said City manager Gareth Taylor. "That’s what I want to see with the players and I’ve seen it this week, I’ve seen the whites of their eyes. They’re ready for this game.”
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Even so, the signs are starting to show for United: Brazilian striker Geyse has finally savoured a league goal and a newly-configured frontline teeming with high-calibre but unfamiliar firepower is honing a fluency that has been for want since the opening day.
In front a baying crowd of more than 40,000 at Old Trafford, continuing to hone that fluency in real time against a team such as City will prove the club's biggest litmus tests of the season so far.
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