Get Serious: Manchester City Has Nothing on United

The red half of Manchester has a lot going for it in terms of cash, stability, and success—you name it, they’ve got it.

Over the past few months there has been speculation about the possible takeover of Manchester United, and the Premier League in general, by Manchester City football club.

After the successful takeover by former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, City was backed by the promise of a new era of investment in playing staff which, until Stuart Pearce left the club in 2007, had been obviously lacking for some time—the annual net outlay being smaller than that of many Championship clubs.

The first summer’s spending on players amounted to approximately 38 million pounds (estimates vary). Based on the team’s performance up to now, the money was spent wisely.

It has been argued by Sven Goran Eriksson in recent interviews that the performance of the players thus far has increased their perceived values, and as such the initial investment appears to already be “in the black.”

However, Eriksson is also quick to indicate that the club no longer has any need to sell its best players. More investment in the playing staff has been promised for the January 2008 transfer window, although figures have yet to be put forward.

So how many of you actually had more than one Manchester City player in your Fantasy Football lineup?

Not many I suppose.

How many of you had Elano as one of your midfielders?

Silence, no arms raised...that’s not a surprise either.

What does surprise me is the impact Manchester City is making on the Premier League right now—third in the table, just two defeats, and, irritatingly, only one point adrift of their great cross-city rivals, Manchester United.

There’s no love lost between City and United—never has been. It has been only on very rare occasions that the Sky Blue sector has been able to claim any bragging rights at the expense of the Reds.

But could it happen this season? Could there possibly be a seismic shift in power?

Can Sven pick up a team of near down-and-outs and mold them into a cohesive unit capable of not only putting United’s nose out of joint but also bringing home a significant piece of silverware for the first time in 39 years (First Division Champions—1968)?

The answer is NO.

Let me explain why.

Stability

Since 1970, City has had 20 different managers (plus another six in function of caretaker), which averages out at less than two seasons per manager.

United has had seven, and that includes Sir Matt Busby who handed over to Wilf McGuiness in 1970 but returned a year later to take over when McGuiness was forced to quit due to ill health.

Finance

United is second only to Real Madrid on the Rich List with income of 166.4 million pounds. City is 17th on the list with an annual income of 60.9 million pounds. And this is as of 2006.

In terms of commercial enterprise, United is millions ahead of City with its worldwide appeal.

Playing Strength

United’s spending power (thanks to income and ownership backing) allowed the team to reverse the trend set by Chelsea last season in winning their ninth Premiership trophy.

City’s current spending capacity seems to be something of a quick fix. While Sven Goran Eriksson has done a brilliant job in pulling together a surprisingly cohesive squad, it remains to be seen whether the manager can hold it together.

Who knows, maybe Eriksson will make some brilliant moves this season—but that’s a big maybe.

17 different nationalities in the dressing room could present problems when some of the latest imports find themselves on the bench for long spells. Italian Ronaldo Bianchi has already expressed his displeasure.

City won the old First Division title twice and they have won the FA Cup four times.

Here's a comparison of the two clubs in the Overall Premiership Table:

		P	W	D	L	PTS
1	Manchester United	591	373	133	85	1252
14	Manchester City	400	119	111	170	468

So, taking a broad view, City has a ways to go to even catch up with United—let alone overtake them.