The phrase ‘styles make fights’ is widely attributed to the legendary boxing strategist Eddie Futch. Although its origins are lost to folklore, its sentiment may show up during Sunday’s Manchester derby.
Michael Carrick’s desire for a brand of possession-based technical football is documented, but his methods are already being questioned after three Premier League outings.
Paint it however you wish, but his United side is better than an opening-day defeat to Hull City, or the Jekyll-and-Hyde point earned against Everton. Their second-half display against Ipswich confirms this.
And while a 4-0 thumping of Sabah FK in the Champions League will boost momentum, Enzo Maresca’s City side will supply an altogether different test.
But therein lies the perennial conundrum for any coach or manager at Old Trafford: how are victories against the would-be top sides easier to come by than against those in the bottom half of the table?
Remarkably, in eight fixtures against the traditional ‘big six’ of English football -seven, if you include Aston Villa- Carrick is yet to taste defeat (won seven, drawn one).
It’s also worth noting that both of his United sides have accumulated 18 goals during those eight matches, or an average of 2.25 per 90 minutes, conceding just eight in the process.
Maresca’s City may have been assembled for an eye-watering figure, with a rather questionable approach to transfer dealings, but from back to front, they are every bit a title-challenging unit.
His side already employs Pep Guardiola’s philosophies, and they will look to treat Old Trafford like any other surface. Still, as we saw during their previous trip across the city in January, they may not necessarily have it their own way.
History is one thing, and the results certainly speak for themselves. Nonetheless, Sunday will present an altogether different challenge for both sides, as Carrick highlighted on Thursday evening.
“There’s no way we’re assuming: ‘We won last year, we can do the same things, and everything will be the same’,” the 45-year-old stated.
“I think the confidence we’ve built over a period of time, and the feeling that we’re getting better all the time, I think that helps us.
“We know it’s a big game, we know it’s an important game. There’s a lot riding on it; that’s pretty obvious to say, but we’re looking forward to it. We’ve got a short space of time to recover and prepare, but we’ll make the most of it.”
Much has been said about the club’s decision not to invest in a full-back during the summer, and Luke Shaw was rested for the midweek Champions League triumph, with Patrick Dorgu replacing him.
Although the Dane impressed in his 72-minute display, Shaw’s availability remains unclear ahead of the 199th Manchester derby. “We’ll have to see,” Carrick said when asked about the full-back’s fitness.
“We looked after him a little bit going into tonight. He wasn’t quite ready for it, 100 per cent, so we didn’t risk it. But we’ll see how he is over the next couple of days or so.”
Benjamin Sesko made his first start of the season and scored his second goal of the campaign against Sabah. The 23-year-old offers an undeniable threat at the head of United’s attack, and his return to fitness is a welcome boost for the Stretford End.
Although City have enjoyed the better of the results in Premier League meetings during Guardiola’s tenure, United have reclaimed a semblance of control since the 2024 FA Cup final.
The Reds have won three of the previous six meetings in all competitions, drawing once and losing twice (one of those coming via a penalty shootout in the Community Shield after a 1-1 draw).
Furthermore, Carrick began his current tenure with that memorable 2-0 victory in the side’s previous Old Trafford contest, highlighting his squad’s attacking prowess throughout.
Michael Oliver will officiate this latest chapter, with action set to get underway at 4:30 PM BST on Sunday.
Predicted Manchester United starting XI (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Dorgu; Tielemans, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Rashford; Sesko.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments or across our social channels. Photo by News Images via depositphotos.com.
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