10 YEARS OF GREAT KOMPANY
VINCENT Kompany has celebrated his ten years as a City player by doing what he does best… winding up United fans!
The Blues skipper signed for the club a decade ago for a bargain £6m.
And by marrying a Mancunian, he has had the kind of insight into classic derby rivalry that most footballers – and certain foreign ones – never get.
He has a special relationship with the derby, having scored the only goal in the 2012 game at the Etihad Stadium which wrenched the Premier League title out of United’s grip.
Another goal in last season’s derby, almost an action replay, did not have the same impact, but his celebration showed exactly what a derby goal means to Kompany.
And in a mancity.com interview to celebrate ten years as a Blue, he talked about this peculiarly Manchester affair – and couldn’t resist having a bit of fun at the JOSE Mourinho has not lost the dressing room and United insiders have told Gary Neville that there is a ‘good spirit’ in the camp, according to the former skipper.
Neville was at the Amex Stadium on Sunday to witness the worst performance of the Mourinho era as United fell to a 3-2 defeat to Brighton. It was their second defeat to the Seagulls in just 107 days.
Stand-in skipper Paul Pogba raised eyebrows post-match when he admitted his Reds’ expense. “I love the derby because of the banter and rivalry,” he said.
“I understand that some might feel genuine hate for one another, but that’s not what I feel – I just feel like I want to win that game more than any other game because I know a lot of people associated to that club.
“It goes both ways. United fans in my family don’t want me to win on derby day, as much as they like me.
“And I want to win that game as much as they want to win that game.
“If you live outside of Manchester you can take it out of context sometimes, where you can think it’s all hate, and I don’t think it is.
“From being in Manchester for a long time, and being around the normal supporters, you feel like we both love our clubs.
“We are all the same. We talk the same, behave the same virtually, but some talk a little bit more nonsense than others – and usually they wear a red shirt!” attitude was not right for the trip down south as United’s struggles against sides battling for their lives again reared their head.
Attention now turns to a huge game against Spurs on Monday night and Neville feels it is far too early to write United off.
“I speak to people at the club and I think that there is a good spirit in the dressing room. Sunday was a poor performance,” he told his self-titled podcast. “This idea... he’s not lost the players. “I don’t think for one minute he’s lost the players so I think it would be wrong to suggest that about this game.
“That will be the wedge that will be tried to be driven and I have felt it being forced a little bit with the Pogba issue this week. They’re trying to force this issue.
“I think he will leave the players because what he needs now is get them right for a week on Monday, a big game against Tottenham, and it is only the second game of the season.
“It’s a worry but it’s only the second game of the season so it’s not terminal.” United special: Pages 58-60