Manchester United and Manchester City Have Very Different Problems to Solve

What a preposterous Premier League weekend. Manchester United beaten 3-2 at home by Steve Kean's hapless Blackburn Rovers, then Manchester City undone by a dramatic late winner from Sunderland's Ji Dong-Won.

There's no question which result served the pun-makers better. "Ji-Whiz" lead Reuters, The Irish Independent, Kuwait Times, Yahoo Australia, Express India, FourFourTwo, and probably a few hundred others too.

But which result ultimately carried more meaning? And which result gives most cause for concern to the two title contenders?

We should start by addressing the fact both sides deserved to win. United had 63 percent of possession at Old Trafford and their attempts at goal outnumbered those of Blackburn by 27 to 11. City were even more dominant—taking 69 percent of possession at the Stadium of Light and delivering 29 attempts to Sunderland's eight.

I'd argue City put in the better performance. For all their chances, United never really ignited a disarmingly serene crowd of 75,000. The midfield pairing of Ji-Sung Park and Rafael was featherweight, and only Antonio Valencia and Dimitar Berbatov emerged with any credit from the match.

There have been two Uniteds at home this season, and the one we saw on Saturday was the same team that dragged its feet past Sunderland, struggled to beat Norwich, got hammered by City and drew twice in the Champions League group stages. Too slow to get going, too deliberate in attack and woefully indecisive in defense.

How they needed Wayne Rooney's drive and purpose against Blackburn, but as David Beckham found out during his time at United, Sir Alex Ferguson's code is not for the breaking. Fans should blame the player and not the manager for his absence.

Rooney or not, and despite a lengthy injury list, United should still be able to negotiate a home win against a team at the foot of the table. The fact they didn't was partly down to Ferguson's bizarre team selection, which had Michael Carrick at the back, and gave us a disjointed first half in which no fewer than four United players were operating out of their comfort zone.

Of course, Ferguson's team could still have won with their jumbled lineup if not for David De Gea's latest howler late on—which handed Blackburn victory just when it looked as though we were on for a Fergie special to celebrate his 70th birthday. The Spanish goalkeeper might be one for the future, but Anders Lindegaard is increasingly looking like the man for the present.

Even a late win wouldn't have disguised the fact Ferguson has reached the turn of the year with some big questions still unanswered. Jones was poor at the back, but it can't be easy to shift so regularly between there and central midfield. Rafael is no more a central midfielder than Berbatov is. Is Rio Ferdinand still the solution on his return?

Like it or not, and Ferguson will resist it for as long as possible, United surely must invest in January to take their 20th league title. In its current state, his team are capable of firing at intervals, but they lack the quality in depth to maintain a run to the finish line. A blood-and-guts midfielder and a central defender would be my starting point, with perhaps a young winger thrown in for good measure.

City's January needs are nowhere near as pressing, but you wouldn't be at all surprised if it was the blue half of Manchester who were treated to the more excitement (again). Roberto Mancini was fuming after his team paid the price for profligacy against Sunderland, and with Carlos Tevez on his way out, there could yet be room for another big-name striker at The Etihad.

Mancini's team have taken one point from six against West Brom and Sunderland, and that clearly constitutes a blip in the context of their season. But when you consider both opponents set out to spoil, and the only goal conceded should have been given offside, their problems are hardly insurmountable.

City's conundrum is how to break down increasingly stubborn opponents in the final third—a familiar one to all good sides who build a reputation for their attacking play. The more potent you are, the more focus will be put on stopping you scoring. The answer is with variety and patience, not to mention a cutthroat presence in front of goal.

With the Premier League title theirs for the taking, Mancini's biggest challenge between here and May could well be instilling City with the same champions mentality that has delivered United such success over the years. Patience and a sense of calm in front of goal could be the difference between a blue revolution and more of the same in Manchester.

United's biggest issues are on the pitch; City's may well be in their heads.