Fergie’s noisy neighbours are still shouting
LESCOTT RELIVES THE MOMENT POWER SHIFTED TO THE BLUE SIDE OF THE CITY
SIR Alex Ferguson’s dismissal of City as noisy neighbours didn’t fuel United’s nearest rivals as much as you might expect.
The phrase, first used by the Old Trafford supremo after a derby in September 2009 when Michael Owen struck a late, late winner in a 4-3 thriller, came back to bite the Reds as City turned Manchester blue with their first title win in 2012 – and have rarely been pegged back since.
At the time, though, new signing Joleon Lescott and the rest of the recruits brought in as part of the significant investment from the Abu Dhabi United Group were more concerned with getting rid of the perception they had only come for the money.
Success did not come instantly, with the Blues finishing 18 points behind United that season and nine the following year. However, with Roberto Mancini starting to harness the motivation of his determined players, that 2010/11 campaign saw a momentous event in the shifting balance of power in Manchester with the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley as Yaya Toure’s goal clinched derby delight for the Blues.
“That was a real shift in belief as a club - for us as players and the fans - but also for them,” said Lescott. “I think they realised then we weren’t just the noisy neighbours, we were a real threat.
“The 34 years of no trophies, the way we did it - we beat Stoke in the final but beating United on the way to that - and getting over the hurdle of winning that trophy was huge for us as a group of players.
“At that time we were still deemed as not being there to compete for trophies. Everyone said we were money-motivated, so winning that trophy kiboshed that theory.”
The following season provided a glorious crescendo to a movement that had begun with the City takeover as both teams duked it out in a topsy-turvy title race and produced the tightest Premier League finish on record.
United marked the Blues’ card in the first game of the campaign, the Community Shield, as they came from two goals down to win 3-2 and stun the upstarts that were full of confidence after a successful pre-season.
The 6-1 at Old Trafford was not just significant symbolically but also mathematically - had the margin of victory not been as great, the eight goals that ultimately separated the teams after 38 games may not have existed. But it was on a barmy night at the end in April 2012 where the rivalry reached an incredible point as they came together at the Etihad. United needed only to avoid defeat to stay in control of the title race with two games to play but had wobbled, with five points dropped from their three previous games to give City hope.
As the footballing world, including the late, great Diego Maradona, watched on, the Blues kept their nerve and Vincent Kompany headed them to the top of the table. “It was unreal. That was the game where Maradona was in attendance. It was like a celebrity heavy
It was unreal. It was like a celebrity heavyweight boxing match when everyone wants a ticket Joleon Lescott
weight boxing match when everyone wants to be there and wants a ticket,” Lescott remembered.
“It was a crazy atmosphere but I just remember there being a calmness because we had a level of experience in our team.
“It wasn’t like we were all firsttime players in the Premier League, we had some high-profile individuals - Carlos [Tevez], Yaya, Sergio [Aguero], Nigel [de Jong] - and even a World Cup winner in David Silva so it was like we were ready and we knew that, so we needed to implement our game. Derby games are great anyway but that occasion was special.
“That was a great United team with arguably the best manager in Premier League history, so on paper we weren’t meant to win, but our motivation was so strong to prove everyone wrong and make a point that we were serious about what we were trying to achieve.
“The club had always been driving that behind the scenes, and that kind of motivation was there for everyone to see.”
City completed the dethroning of United in the most dramatic fashion possible with Sergio Aguero’s 94thminute winner against QPR stopping dead United celebrations in Sunderland.
And while Ferguson got his revenge the following season, that
Yaya Toure celebrates his FA Cup semi-final winner
Joleon Lescott was the last time they finished above the Blues in the league as his departure saw an end to the teams both being in direct competition for the title.
With Guardiola extending his stay at the Etihad until 2023, Lescott expects City to remain top dogs in the city as they head in today’s game looking to move ahead of United in the table.
“For a few years now, going into most derbies, City have been the favourites and rightly so. I don’t see it any different this weekend,” he said.
“But it’s United so you tend to rule out current form. It’s a derby, but with the way City have galvanised th their form, unbeaten in the last few games, I’d have to back them. The confidence levels should be at opposite ends of the scale after this week.
“Defeats are never nice to take in a derby but in the current situation, it would be more of a surprise if United win. It would potentially do more for them than it would City in terms of where they see themselves.
“I don’t want to sound disrespectful or complacent but with City being favourites and expected to win - it’s only a reward in the shortterm. I think United - with the pressure on the manager - would see it as a different sort of victory than we would.”