Sadness in Manchester

Just a few months ago, proud Manchester City fans swept their arch-rivals in the red part of the city the famous ‘Champions Four-in-a-row’ (four consecutive titles) boasted of ‘ skyblues’ because of their undeniable dominance in the Premier League. Their slumping rivals Manchester United, forced to change coaches in their worst year of results, are taking malicious revenge these days, responding with an eloquent ‘Six-in-a-row’ (six in a row). They remind them with the evil and irony of all their recent losses, in what is the team’s darkest streak. Pep Guardiola.

Manchester United’s two rivals, the ‘skyblue’ of City and the red of the ‘red devils’, are sharing grief and suffering today. They continue to drag themselves into a present full of problems, compounding bad results and worries. The city has been haunted by the conflict with the Premier League and its court battle to emerge victorious from 115 cases of breaches of financial regulations. At United, the storm of economic cuts ordered by its new co-owner, Jim Ratcliffe that makes his fans angry. That’s the atmosphere that will surround their clash on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium, City. A climate of stress and sadness on both sides for a match of great rivalry where, above all, the pride of their two clubs is at stake.

United arrived after losing (2-3) at Old Trafford, against Nottingham Forest, in the first unfortunate day of the new coach, the Portuguese Ruben Amorimwhich has already encountered the first obstacles in a club that is confused by economic difficulties and the very poor performance of many players. For the City, the month of November was uniquely disastrous. And Wednesday’s defeat in Turin, against Juventus (2-0), puts them in the worst streak of ‘skyblues’ since 2006, with the risk of being eliminated from the Champions League.

Guardiola’s team have scored 23 goals in their last 10 games. They entered the unknown scenario due to their weakness, with only one win in 10 games, of which they lost seven. Their defense has failed like no other in this ‘blue side’ of Manchester, which will force the club to make decisions for next season. City have conceded 23 goals in their last 10 games. In his treble season, he scored only 43 goals.

Atmosphere of changes

Defensive failures against Juventus hampered City again, this time against a conservative Juventus, locked in at the back, needing just two counter-attacks to win the match at the Allianz Stadium. In the minds of the ‘skyblues’ players, there is a secret acknowledgment of fatigue from the model in which they have won so much, including Pep Guardiola. This is how he confessed Ilkay Gundoganafter the game in Turin: “As long as we don’t find a click, it will be difficult, the only thing we can do now is that each player asks themselves how they can sacrifice individually to help the team and be able to come back on the path together.”

Given the signs of weakness shown by their current squads, the two clubs are now united in a sense of the need for renewal. United are also trying to end this year in the best possible way, to start the ‘Amorim revolution’, which will mean the departure of many players and the commitment to others, younger and what Amorim wants for their 3- 4-2 system – 1, where even forward level Marcus Rashford They may be hard to fit in the end. Rashford is a symbol, as he is one of the youngsters forged in his academy and recognized at the club, but Amorim does not consider him irreplaceable. The club’s losses, totaling £312.9 million over the last three seasons, could favor a move this coming summer.

The departure of Dan Ashworth

Amorim has been trying to impose a new style for weeks, but he has already warned that his winning formula needs time to fit in, with his task of reconnecting United where he left off. Alex Ferguson 11 years ago. In the attempt, so far, five other coaches have failed, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnickhas come and gone since the departure of the legendary Scottish coach, with the club, due to its struggles, also ending up shedding the stratospheric salary he had as the ‘red devils’ permanent ambassador.

The current atmosphere at Manchester United is weighing on 250 layoffs since Jim Ratcliffe took control of football operations, including his £1.3 billion investment for a 27.7% stake in the club. The last to leave was the new sports director, Dan Ashworth, poached just a few months ago from Newcastle and heralded at the time as a luxury ‘signing’ for reconversion. His bad match with the director general, Omar Berradaformer City manager, and technical director, Jason Wilcox became the reason. Among the layoffs and cost-cutting, United also canceled its annual Christmas party, due to the damage caused by the job losses, moves Ratcliffe described as “difficult and unpopular decisions” and given reason “by inheriting a financial situation that only time can resolve.”

The long-awaited Manchester ‘derby’ at the Etihad, on Sunday, will have an envelope of sadness and a certain disappointment. Now they are two endangered and wounded clubs, forced to fight, in a very bad season, for a victory that for their fans will always have a double value.