Manchester United Head to Derby Date with Renewed Optimism

Manchester United and Manchester City supporters will still be entering this weekend with the usual feeling of trepidation that surrounds derby day.

United endured a torrid time at the Etihad Stadium last season as they were swept aside by the Sky Blues in a 4-1 defeat—a fact that will prey on the minds of both sets of fans.

Recent results for both sides suggest that there are green shoots of hope appearing for The Reds, though.

Despite a dramatic late equaliser salvaging a point, Louis van Gaal spoke in his post-match press conference last weekend about his dissatisfaction with United’s performance against Chelsea, as reported in the Manchester Evening News:

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I’m not pleased as I still have the feeling we could have won today and that we don’t take our opportunities at the moment. I have said that to the boys.

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However, the manner in which his side played in the first half must have secretly pleased him.

The apparent re-emergence of the club’s famous never-say-die attitude, displayed by late goals in both of the last two matches, will also give the manager and supporters a renewed sense of optimism. If they could just cut out the earlier mistakes.

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City remain a difficult nut to crack at the Etihad Stadium—particularly in the Manchester derby. The baying home support loves nothing more than putting one over their red rivals. 

Their record in these local dust-ups has been so good recently that defender Aleksandar Kolarov told Talksport that "United has a great history but in the last five or six years, I think we have been superior to them."

Despite such feelings of superiority, the results of his side's last few games will have sown some seeds of doubt in the minds of their supporters before Sunday’s big game.

A commanding two-goal lead to CSKA Moscow was uncharacteristically surrendered in the UEFA Champions League. They suffered an away loss to West Ham United in the English Premier League, and most recently, they lost to Newcastle United at home in the Capital One Cup.

With memories of last season fading, United supporters will be hoping that the Citizens’ poor run of form continues—and that the Reds can tap into the kind of performance that they displayed in the first half against Chelsea.

Perhaps buoyed by the fact that Diego Costa was missing, United’s defence seemed relaxed last Sunday. Despite his goal, Didier Drogba is far from the potent threat he was in days gone by. This afforded United the opportunity to push forward more often in the first half and to build from the back.

Problems surfaced once Eden Hazard began to work his magic. Once United had fallen behind—Drogba made the most of a man-marking error to glance a header in off Robin van Persie—they had to chase the game, but Chelsea frustrated them with ease and the Belgian threatened to run riot.

David Silva is the City player most likely to cause the same difficulties as Hazard, but manager Manuel Pellegrini told his pre-match press conference on Friday that he would not be available for the clash due to an injury sustained in the defeat to West Ham, per BBC.

One player the Reds have failed to keep occupied enough defensively over the last few years is Pablo Zabaleta. In his column for The Independent, United legend Paul Scholes earmarked the Argentine as a constant threat, and it will be fascinating to see if Luke Shaw and Zabaleta’s compatriot Angel Di Maria will be able to curb his raids down the flank.

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The reaction to Van Persie's late equaliser showed that the United spirit still exists, and ignoring the usual concerns over United's current defence, there are enough reasons to be optimistic about their chances against City, who will be desperate for their winless streak to end.

It is surely time for Radamel Falcao to be unleashed properly on the Premier League—and where better for the Colombian to make his mark than in the Manchester derby? It will also be hoped that Wayne Rooney can overcome his fitness doubts.

If those two feature, then the likely players to drop out are Adnan Januzaj and Juan Mata—neither of whom has managed to fully grasp recent chances in the starting XI.

Marouane Fellaini's mini-renaissance may not have won over all his detractors just yet, but his well-taken goal against West Bromwich Albion and his decent performance against Chelsea will breed confidence.

United fans have already suffered many twists and turns in a rollercoaster season. There may be more to come. The result of the 168th Manchester derby might just determine whether they enjoy the ride.