Why Manchester United Do Not Have To Worry About City

"We have been working for years to build the team we have got." Sir Alex Ferguson told this to the BBC today when asked about if he was worried over Manchester City. He also went on to say that, "I can't be worried, there's always challenges in football."

Wise words spoken by a man who has nothing to fear by the recent buying of Manchester City by the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG). The owners of City swept into their new job and attempted to frantically buy up players. They set their eyes on United's recent purchase, Dimitar Berbatov, but ended up beating out Chelsea for the Brazillian, Robinho.

All the while, those sitting in offices at Old Trafford just laugh and they have reason to. It appears that the ADUG are attempting to buy their way into the top four of the Premiership. Regardless of their purchases, it will take them longer than they think it will to break into the top four for an extended period of time.

ADUG wants City to win both the Premiership and the Champions League and while they haven't offered a timetable for how soon they would like to do this to City manager, Mark Hughes, it is likely that they will want to see results over night.

This, however, will not be the case.

The owners have already have a laundry list of players that they want to snatch up during the transfer window. This list includes players such as Fernando Torres, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Cesc Fabregas. Even if they do acquire these players, one of two things will happen.

Going Broke

I don't care how much money ADUG has, they do not have enough to maintain the salaries of all these players on one roster. It would likely not only be these players but it would also include players that they would sign over the summer.

They haven't released their shortlist for the summer window but you can guarantee that it has more zeros than letters in these players names.

Teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool are able to bring in these big name players and still pay them. These teams have international acclaim and merchandising rights that blow most professional sports teams here in the US off the chart.

In four years of college I have seen more United jerseys on people than all the teams in the NFL put together. Football sells and good footballers sell. City have a few good players at best and not nearly the international distribution that the other major teams have.

Simply put, the team will turn into Gretna fiasco that we saw over the summer where the team couldn't pay the players and the coaches. By that time, ADUG will have sold the club off and most of the major players will have left for better clubs.

Teamwork

The notion of putting a team of stars together would hit hardest on Mark Hughes and his staff. Not to say that all major footballers are unable to listen to the manager, but when you come from a team like United or Arsenal, there might arise a complex of who is better, player or coach.

This problem is also likely to transfer down to the interpersonal relations within the team. A team full of stars who are trying to continue their fame may become more ball hungry or more aggressive on the pitch and kill the sense of teamwork.

Who Gets It The Worse In The End?

Four years from now I will hopefully have a real job. Hopefully one in England. I will get to my office one day and turn on the t.v. and see that there were either fights amongst the players at City or that ADUG is selling the team because they didn't win a title in four years.

I think the fans and the players will share the burden of the trouble that is likely to come in the next half of a decade.

The fans will grow tired of stars that can't win a match together.

The players will get sick of not being able to play and opt for better clubs.

Manchester City is not Manchester United. Nor are they Chelsea, Liverpool, or Arsenal. These teams have built themselves to the pinnacle of teamwork. They have won more trophies between them than City will ever hope to win when their daddy finishes buying them a new team.

So, no, Sir Alex is right. There is no need to be worried but not because there are always challenges in football, but because he has a team that can withstand any other team that is put together with contracts, and held together with cash.