Solskjaer taunts City: we’re still biggest
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer attempted to rattle Manchester City on the eve of the derby by insisting that Manchester United remain a bigger club than their local rivals.
The balance of power in Manchester has shifted since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as United manager in 2013. City have won three league titles, the last two under Pep Guardiola.
Solskjaer was keen to remind Guardiola before the match at the Etihad Stadium early today (NZ time), however, that City have a less storied past than United. To emphasise the point, Solskjaer pointed out that he had to wait four years after he joined United to make his first appearance in a Manchester derby because City were in the second tier.
‘‘At least we play every year now,’’ Solskjaer, the United manager, said when asked how the Manchester derby had changed from his playing days. ‘‘It took many years before I played a Manchester derby myself.’’
Asked whether United was still the biggest club in Manchester, Solskjaer replied with a firm: ‘‘Yes.’’
Guardiola, of course, had no option but to accept that United’s trophy haul is bigger than theirs. City have only won the title six times, 14 fewer than United.
‘‘If you’re looking at the trophy cabinet, they [United] are better,’’ he said. But Guardiola was keen to remind Solskjaer that City have been far superior than their rivals in the hunt for trophies of late. Since Ferguson’s retirement, United’s only success has come in the Europa League and Carabao Cup. They won both competitions in 2017, whereas City have won eight trophies in that period of time.
Even though City have lost three games this season, they still stand 11 points above their neighbours.
‘‘In the time we’ve been here, we’ve been better than United,’’ Guardiola said. ‘‘At the end of the season, our points show that. The consistency was incredible.’’
In Guardiola’s three seasons at City, his team has finished nine, 19 and 32 points ahead of United.
United lost ground on City after wasting money on lavish and unnecessary players like Radamel Falcao, Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay and Bastian Schweinsteiger among others. They now try to buy young, hungry homegrown players, as was the case last summer when they signed Harry Maguire,
Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James for £150 million. Solskjaer believes that the club must stick to that policy.
Guardiola has triumphed in four of the six league meetings with United since he joined the club in 2016. The only derby defeat that Guardiola suffered still lingers in his mind, however. In April, 2018, City would have claimed the title with victory over their neighbours at the
Etihad Stadium, but instead United mounted a remarkable comeback and won 3-2. Guardiola has reminded his players of the defeat and hopes that will guard them against complacency.
‘‘We were incredible in the first half, but we lost the game in 10 minutes, derbies are like that,’’ Guardiola said. ‘‘In important games you have to be more focused.’’
– The Times