10 Reasons Manchester City Will Dominate Manchester United for Years to Come

The Blue Moon has risen.

A thrilling finish to the 2011-2012 English Premier League campaign landed Manchester City their first title in 44 years, and City fans have finally found some ammunition against their crosstown rivals.

But, despite being without a billionaire owner and consequently with a weaker squad on paper, Sir Alex Ferguson still molded a squad that pushed City all the way last season.

So was City’s success a one-off, or will we witness a Blue Manchester for years to come?

This article will lay out 10 reasons why last season was just the beginning for a City mini-dynasty. Feel free to have your say in the comments below.

Disclaimer: This article was not written by a City fan, but rather a Liverpool fan who has nothing but (grudging) admiration for the way United have shaped their own EPL dominance.

Sheer Spending Power

The most obvious reason for City’s continued success is their sheer spending power.

It’s gotten them to where they are now, and it’s going to play a huge role in their future, whether anyone likes it or not.

While the Financial Fair Play rules are supposed to be implemented in a few seasons’ time, and City’s current finances might need some time to balance themselves out, it is an undeniable fact that the wages on offer at the Etihad Stadium are enough to entice the best players to City.

We saw what a billionaire owner can do for Chelsea, now established as one of Europe’s top clubs.

The same will inevitably take place at Manchester City as well.

Increasing Brand Value

Make no mistake: Manchester United are runaway leaders in terms of brand value.

The latest brand value rankings in 2012 prove as much, and their excellent marketing, sponsorship and business deals will continue to stand them in good stead for years to come.

But a quick look at the rankings also reveals that, barring Germany’s FC Schalke 04, it’s Manchester City who have notched the highest year-on-year percentage increase in brand value.

Now, what we make of a “brand value” ranking is entirely up to ourselves, but the message behind these rankings is that City are rapidly climbing up the world football ladder.

With more success comes more money, and City will be looking to implement a media-savvy management team to take advantage of all the global business opportunities that will be coming their way.

Ambition and Rivalry

Going hand in hand with the improving picture is the fact that City is a football club burning with ambition.

Getting world-class players like Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero on board was step one.

Winning first the FA Cup and then the Premier League title was step two.

Step three is now to turn these initial successes into an extended period of dominance.

Which will be the hardest step of all, especially when City want to include European dominance in their sights as well.

But the city of Manchester is a wonderful place for football right now, hosting two of Europe and England’s top clubs.

This rivalry will only inspire both teams to outdo each other.

Winning Becomes a Habit

We’ve seen from the great English teams from the past that winning more or less becomes a habit.

Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea stand out as shining examples in the history of English football.

While there have been examples (such as Leeds United and Blackburn Rovers) to show that merely winning means nothing in the long term, the City hierarchy will ensure that the Etihad sees success in the former ilk, not the latter.

Just as City have started their momentum in terms of getting key results against United, they have also started translating their successes to silverware wins.

Owners and Management Staff

In Sheikh Mansour and co., Manchester City seem to have a sensible owner who is also not afraid to make big decisions.

They made a big call in replacing Mark Hughes with Roberto Mancini, a proven manager on the European stage, remained sufficiently patient with the beginning couple of seasons under Mancini’s leadership, and have now reaped the rewards of a Mancini-built team.

Their statement that Mancini would have remained in the City job even if he ended up conceding the title to United shows a preference for longevity, that same model that has fared so well at United.

Roberto Mancini has also relished the challenge as City boss.

During his time at Internazionale, he showed his ability to deal with big dressing-room egos, while his (controversial) decision to welcome Carlos Tevez back into the City fold showed pragmatic decision-making.

He’s also fast becoming the equal of a certain mind-game expert across town.

Fan Support

As fans of the Premier League, we’ve been inundated by claims that Manchester City possess some of the most loyal and passionate fans in the world.

A look at City’s title celebrations, which featured a full crowd invasion of the Etihad pitch and a wonderful atmosphere around the stadium, showed that perhaps those claims might be true after all.

Throughout the season, the Etihad’s atmosphere has been a joy to behold.

City’s is a fanbase that has stuck by their team throughout thick and thin, from the depths of the Football League to the top of the Premier League, all the while supporting the second-best team in their city.

Perhaps it’s their time to enjoy being top dogs. They’ll certainly usher their team onto new levels with their pitch-side decibels.

World-Class Playing Spine

City have it good on the pitch as well.

With a playing spine composed of Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero, City have an experienced core who also have years left at the top of the game.

Roberto Mancini’s bench is also full of players who would walk into most Premier League sides, which gives him both squad depth and squad breadth.

If this core remains at the Etihad, it might mean that any subsequent additions to the playing staff would merely be additions alongside the quintuplet mentioned above.

With a spine like this, City’s days of extravagant spending might be over.

Unbalanced United Squad

Enough about City: Any period of dominance for Manchester City would also have to involve a decline in Manchester United’s fortunes.

And the first decline might have already begun.

Before the United brigade chip in with their opinions, we must first acknowledge that there is no one who does the youth system better than Sir Alex Ferguson (except Barcelona).

Perhaps only Manchester United are the only club who would be able to take such a calculated gamble on such unproven young stars and finish level on points with the ultimate Premier League champions to boot.

That said, the most glaring weakness at present was very much reflected in Ferguson’s decision to replace Paul Scholes with Paul Scholes, and the current lack of any established stars approaching the primes of their careers makes for a gap within the squad (apart from Wayne Rooney, of course).

This is a United squad that lacks the right balance, and that needs addressing.

Their disastrous European campaign this year was a tell-tale sign.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Retirement

That Ferguson is the master of youth development, integration and success is undisputed.

That he can consistently mould new generations of talent at Manchester United and translate them into successes is almost a given.

That the winning mentality he instills in his teams will come through and make a significant impact on any competition they enter is legendary.

But one thing he can’t do is reverse his own years.

There will come a day that Sir Alex Ferguson will have to step down from his legendary perch at Old Trafford, and with each passing season, that day comes ever sooner.

Sir Alex’s Shadow

And so, what might end up being the key factor in Manchester City’s dominance is how Manchester United cope with the loss of Ferguson, and how to fill that considerable void.

Surely the United hierarchy (and Ferguson himself) will have been making plans to ensure that his departure will not result in a silverware vacuum.

But it’s all easier said than done.

Will any other figure at Old Trafford ever manage to gain the patience, faith and power that Ferguson has been granted?

Will the United faithful, having witnessed such a prolific past two decades and having been so accustomed to winning football matches, tolerate seasons of transition if necessary?

We have seen with Jose Mourinho’s former clubs in Chelsea and Internazionale struggle in attempts to recapture the glories he led them to.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s shadow will loom much larger over his successors than possibly any other football manager in history.

Don’t be surprised if Manchester City take advantage of this.

Oh, the price of success.

If you liked this article, you might also be interested in Greatest Moments in City’s Historic Year. Stay tuned for extensive Euro 2012 coverage on my Bleacher Report writer’s profile, and check out my blog, The Red Armchair, for Liverpool opinions and match reactions.