(Left) Manchester United’s Casemiro, and Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojlund react after Newcastle’s Joelinton scoring his side’s second; Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva reacts at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Everton at the Etihad stadium in Manchester. (AP Photos)
Between the red and blue halves of Manchester, the two football teams that define and divide the port city, they have hoisted the EPL trophy 15 times in 24 editions this century. It has been a clearly demarcated domination of two parts—United bossing the league till 2013, the year Alex Ferguson retired and City gathering monopoly after acquiring Pep Guardiola. The paths of clubs have crossed in the title race just once, culminating in a timeless finale in 2013. All other years their trajectories have shot the opposite ways.
But the 2024-25 season has brought them together in their united grief, closer than the five miles that separate them. City have won only two of their last 14 games, their worst run since the Sheikh takeover. For the first time in his career, Guardiola, the most celebrated manager of this century, lost five games in his managerial career. Similarly, United lost six games in a month for the first time since 1930. Their new manager, Ruben Amorim, fears they could be relegated, as they languish in the 14th spot. City are placed relatively higher in the rung, at six and only six points adrift of second-placed Nottingham Forest. But for the three-time defending champions, one of the most imposing sides in Europe, that is a damning place to be.
Both could recover from the gorge when the season ends, but fate had seldom strewn them together in misery in the Premier League era. The streak of defeats, though, is where the similarity ends. The problems Guardiola and Amorim—who in the space of 45 days beat City twice with two different teams—face are dissimilar. Guardiola is facing the inevitable rigours of dominating the world’s most competitive league for the last eight years, six of which have resulted in title triumphs. His players are tired, the sustained intensity has wrecked their body and soul, the fresh ones are imbibing his style and structure, perhaps a touch too lethargic for his taste, and perhaps the Spaniard is feeling knackered himself.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City suffers a crisis of missing key players. (Reuters )
The edifices of the City empire are crumbling. The talismans are hitting the downhill station. Injuries have ravaged the speed and dexterity of Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden, player of the last season, has looked drained and rusty; the midfield metronome Rodri would not return this season; right-back Kyle Walker has lost his zip and mischief. The backline, frequently shuffled due to injuries and loss of form, has been unusually porous. Subsequently, they have shipped in as many goals as they had in the entire 2021-22 season. The overwhelming belief is that if City strives to resuscitate their flailing empire, they would have to achieve it with a fresh brigade and new nucleus.
The perils of rebuilding an empire, neighbours United would know. For the last eleven years, they have been hurtling back and forth in the hire-and-fire-managers roulette. Since Ferguson’s farewell, they have installed six managers, and none of them have succeeded in charting a sense of direction for the team. David Moyes was too inept for the job; Louis van Gaal too staid; Jose Mourinho too flat; Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had no coherent philosophy; and Erik Ten Hag was out of his depth.
The latest in the unenviable chain of managers is Amorim. He is suave, talks pleasingly, and wants his team to play in a particular way, albeit in a largely unviable and unsuccessful 3-4-3 formation in the league. Despite the defeats, there is hope that he could be United’s catalyst of an upturn, provided he gets the time, freedom, and men to implement his plans. All he has now are square pegs for round holes, and players that are too fragile and slow for his style. But if somehow he weathers the phase of tempest and strings a few wins together, the mood among the faithful could change.
Manchester United players celebrate after Bruno Fernandes, right, scored his side’s first goal during the English Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium. (AP Photo)
How he copes with it under the asphyxiating pressure would be a fascinating journey, just as how Guardiola revives his squad is stewed in intrigue. The managers present an engrossing portrait. One is the metronome, who has achieved everything. The other is an apprentice, just nudging 40, fit enough for half a game of high-intensity game, who lists the other as an inspiration. Some had touted Amorim as Guardiola’s potential successor after his former club Sporting CP’s director of football Hugo Viana moved to Manchester City. “He is a great influence on every aspiring manager at the highest level,” Amorim would say. Guardiola reciprocated: “The two times I have played Sporting, he has come across as a very, very good coach.”
Perhaps, their twain shall meet again in happier times for the club. There is still a belief that City could only get better as the season progresses. It’s more complicated for United. A relegation could be far-fetched, given the listlessness of the last four teams, but retracing the lost paths of greatness is at least half a decade away. But at least fleetingly, Manchester, its red and blue halves are united in misery.
I’m Manas Ranjan Sahoo: Founder of “Webtirety Software”. I’m a Full-time Software Professional and an aspiring entrepreneur, dedicated to growing this platform as large as possible. I love to Write Blogs on Software, Mobile applications, Web Technology, eCommerce, SEO, and about My experience with Life.
