City’s telepathic twosome will destroy United if they leave wide open spaces

MANCHESTER UNITED may hope for a bright new future under Jim Ratcliffe, but so long as Pep Guardiola is in Manchester, I cannot see the bragging rights shifting from the blue to the red side of town. Guardiola and his analysts will have studied United’s trip to Nottingham Forest and, like me, will have noticed how Sofyan Amrabat moved into midfield as an inverted left back to leave behind a back three. That saw Amrabat sit alongside Casemiro as Scott McTominay pushed up with captain Bruno Fernandes in the pockets behind Marcus Rashford. Yet Forest responded by sending balls into the space vacated by Amrabat to try to hurt United. City would love it if their opponents send one of their full backs into midfield tomorrow. We saw what Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland did to Luton and the ruthlessness with which they ripped them apart in that FA Cup mauling. Luton tried to go man-to-man, a brave strategy which ultimately failed. De Bruyne assisted four of Haaland’s five goals (1 and 2 above) as City unleashed 17 shots with 15 on target, a remarkable ratio that underlined their supremacy. If United are silly enough to leave such wide open spaces Haaland will eat them alive, with De Bruyne supplying the passes for him to chase and bury. Erik ten Hag has come out swinging in the build-up to this derby, branding it ‘pathetic’ that Fernandes is being criticised, despite his playacting, and insisting Antony can be ‘unstoppable’, despite the Brazilian not contributing a goal or assist in the Premier League this season. Ten Hag has been doing his best to protect his players, taking the heat when they lose, and United’s manager will hope tomorrow is the day Rashford and Co provide him with some respite. In fact, they face their fierce rivals at a time when there is serious scrutiny on Rashford amid accusations of negative body language. Yet this trip to City could suit the England man’s skillset. As a centre forward, he is not comfortable playing with his back to goal, as he did in that FA Cup win at Forest with the visitors dominating the ball. But Rashford is not going to have his back to goal this time. United will drop deep into a defensive shape as City control possession and that will largely leave him facing forwards. When United win the ball he can use his speed to charge at City on the counter-attack and exploit any space. That might be the best way, in fact the only way, United can leave the Etihad with the win.