The Manchester Derby: The "Big Five"

It has become a cliché that the evolution of modern telecommunications—from the telegraph to the telephone to satellites to the Web—has increasingly brought people closer together. Many activities that were once possible only when individuals were in relatively close physical proximity to one another have now entered the virtual realm.

Today, people can engage in various pursuits, or a remarkable simulacrum of them, whether they breathe the same oxygen or are thousands of miles apart.

Two such British clubs are, although physically within a stone's throw, yet miles apart in the footballing world are Manchester City and Manchester United.

But this season, there's been something different about Eastlands, something more constructive, although that concreteness comes with a touch of absurdity. For Hughes, breaking into the top four in the Premier League would imply replacing either Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool.

I believe out of the "big four", the most likely to finish fifth this season will be Arsenal.

Last weekend brought a lot of issues to the table. If cash guaranteed success, competing with Man City in the long-term is perhaps an unreasonable expectation then for Arsene Wenger.

Although the pessimists religiously & regularly criticize Wenger's youth policy, it's inevitable that most people will come to the conclusion that there is a lack of balance in his philosophy and inability to adapt to compete in the age of the Abu Dhabi group; however, he is a man of such intelligence that you would be naive to suggest he doesn't realise the shortcomings of his transfer strategy.

In an age in which football—like every other sport—is having its course dictated by commercial business, you can only admire a man of pure intentions and principles and Arsene Wenger has made it abundantly clear he is against big business 'corrupting' football.

Instead, he is more concerned with maintaining a stable, recession-proof economic policy. Playing it safe. But slow and steady only wins the race for a Europa Cup spot today.

And that is why there is growing belief that the penny-saver menu signings are nothing more than a fail-safe, to hide behind the guise of financial responsibility and youth development as an excuse for any potential failure, while snatching the likes of Gareth Barry, Carlos Tevez, Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott would put the onus squarely on the manager to deliver success immediately.

That is the exact same position Mark Hughes now finds himself in; however, believe what you will, but don't believe it's unfair, don't believe there is no money and don't believe that Arsenal's decline from magical to a little mediocre is anyone's fault but the club's.

For a man who coaches his players with such passion and belief to take risks and go out to win, it is nothing short of a shame for football that he cannot take that same mentality into the boardroom. There is a reason Real Madrid head-hunted the Frenchman this summer. It wasn't the first time and may not even be the last, as he is a man universally recognised as embracing a special brand of football and nurturing top talent.

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