Manchester might be threatening to dominate English football with United and City looking so strong in the Premier League, but both clubs must overcome Barcelona if they are to rule Europe and I still do not believe either of them are ready to do that.
With the summer signings made by both United and City, you would have to argue that the gap between themselves and Barcelona has narrowed, yet Pep Guardiola’s team were so far ahead that the gap remains a sizeable one.
The Champions League returns this week and it will pose a totally different challenge to that facing our teams in the Premier League. Domestically, there can be no denying that United are now firmly looking over their shoulder at the threat posed by City.
When you are at the top, you look out for the next challenger and, while Chelsea remain a threat, City now look as though they are here to stay because, like United, you could take two sheets of paper and write a different starting XI on each one and still have a really strong team.
But if United and City are to take confirm a new era of Mancunian supremacy by contesting next May’s Champions League final in Munich, Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini must overcome genuine obstacles placed in their way by Barcelona.
Despite the neck-and-neck race at the top of the Premier League being contested by United and City, in Europe, United have the edge in every department. They have the experience of course and distance, they have been to three finals in four years and many of their players know how to win the Champions League.
But they also have the scars of defeat against Barcelona, inflicted not once, but twice, on the biggest stage of all.
If United face Barcelona at any stage this season, the game will not merely be won by what happens on the pitch. The psychological scars must also be erased by United and the only way they can do that is by beating Barcelona again. Considering that they might have to do that in a semi-final or even the final, then it only emphasises the challenge they face.
For City, the challenge is different. They don’t have the scars that United have, but while Mancini’s team possess incredible attacking flair and strength in midfield, you have to look at their defensive options as a cause for concern. They do not have top-level back-up for Joe Hart in goal and while they have a good player in Vincent Kompany at centre-half, Joleon Lescott would not be classed as one of the top three defenders in the Premier League.
Left-back is a genuine weak spot for City. Both Aleksandr Kolarov and Gael Clichy are good going forward, but neither convince defensively and, in Europe, City will come under pressure in the areas where they are weak. Their defensive cover is not the best and you would have to say that the left side of their defence, with Lescott and Kolarov/Clichy, is not Champions League-winning standard. Despite the impressive displays by both United and City so far this season, they will experience a wholly different challenge in Europe.
City will have to deal with the kind of pressure that they have not encountered domestically this season, especially when they go away from home. Good teams, well-organised outfits with players capable of hurting you, will cause problems and Mancini’s players will have to be a team from 1-11 to overcome those challenges.
City are in the classic ‘group of death’ alongside Napoli, Villarreal and Bayern Munich, so we will see just how good they are, and what sort of team they are collectively, if they are to reach the knockout stages.
And while United’s young players have done exceptionally well so far in this campaign, Sir Alex will know that experience is everything in Europe and many of the kids don’t have that yet.
They might have played for England, but Europe is a different animal to international football and, although people might look and say that the youngsters will take to it in two seconds, it is not as simple as that.
They will have to bed in, but Sir Alex has the experienced players within his squad to ensure that United have the right blend to progress.
But it all goes back to Barcelona because, if City or United are to win the Champions League, Barca will have to fall from the top of the tree. For that to happen, somebody has to become so good that they are capable of beating them and it seems as though the contenders still have a long way to go.
Credit to: Alan Haris
