Manchester United vs. Manchester City: 10 Things the Community Shield Showed Us

The FA Community Shield proved to be quite the showpiece event to kick off the English football season. And if the rest of the season is anything like the first 94 minutes we witnessed, Manchester pharmacies are destined for a roaring trade in heart medications. However, hidden amid the spectacle are several lessons for both clubs, fans and pundits alike.

Having dominated possession for much of the first half, Manchester United went into the break reeling. City sat back and soaked up the pressure for 35 minutes, only to hit United with a devastating one-two punch right in the gizzards.

With their ability to shut up shop, a 2-0 lead seemed as good as money in the bank for the Citizens. After all, it is not like Manchester United have ever come back from two goals down. Neither do they routinely win games right at the death. Right?

The second half saw a raft of substitutions with Phil Jones, Jonny Evans, Tom Cleverley and Rafael all taking to the field. Not that anyone would presume to read the frightening enigma that is Sir Alex Ferguson's mind, but anybody who assumed Fergie was throwing in the towel was in for a surprise.

And that is where our tale begins.

Note: This article contains passages of moderate bias towards United that may elicit allergic or venomous reactions from Manchester City fans. Please peruse with caution.

1. Michael Carrick's Grave Stone Will Read "Spurs Midfielder"

Years ago, Michael Carrick cost Manchester United a hefty £18million in a deal that not even the financially savvy Lehmann brothers would have considered.

After his largely anonymous showing in the 2009 Champions League Final, most players would do whatever it took to build up their skill set and composure on the off chance that they ever play in the show piece event again. Instead, Michael Carrick turned up the anonymity to such an extent in the 2011 final that some thought he had actually taken a cab to the airport 10 minutes into the game.

There is no doubt that Carrick is an excellent passer of the ball. However, he suffers from what I like to call 'Xabi Syndrome': that is, the moment he is placed under duress, his game deteriorates to schoolboy levels characterized by long, hopeful balls in the general direction of anything red.

This doesn't sound as bad until we realize that the descriptor "anything red" includes the score board, United fans in row Z and the occasional flight departing Manchester airport.

His performance against Manchester City in the Community Shield only confirmed our worst suspicions. Having controlled play excellently for the first 30 minutes, a brief upswing in City's pressing game caused him to lose the plot completely.

In fact, United officials fought valiantly to deny rumours that Carrick, substituted at half-time, accepted his medal in his formal suit because the look on Fergie's face caused him to wet his shorts when Edin Dzeko scored City's second goal.

Critics will be sharpening their pitchforks, especially after Tom Cleverley's stellar showing in the second half. The end result is that Carrick's grave will probably read "Spurs Midfielder," and the man driving the final nail in his coffin may well be the slick-passing Cleverley.

2. Look Michael, This Is What a Well-Orchestrated Play Looks Like: Tom Cleverley

Tom Cleverley burst onto the scene with stellar performances during United's preseason tour, and I have been singing his praises for a few weeks now. The only question remaining was whether he could translate those performances onto the big stage. Judging by the 45 minutes he played against City, the answer is a resounding yes.

City found their feet towards the end of the first half, aided of course by Michael Carrick's complete meltdown under pressure. But the introduction of Cleverley put paid to any ambitions they had in the second half.

The youngster made himself available whenever necessary, played quick one-touch passes and found space with ease. He read the game brilliantly and showed an almost clairvoyant awareness.

Most importantly, the consequence of his style and vision meant that he was able to play puppetmaster with some of the world's most expensive puppets in Nani, Young, Rooney, Anderson and Welbeck.

City barely had a sniff of the ball after he came on, and he orchestrated one of the most beautiful goals on English soil in recent years for United's second. For those few ethereal seconds, United seemed to exist on a plane of gods.

Now let us move on before we succumb to the overwhelming temptation to generate a string of terribly poor puns about Cleverley's name.

3. No Tevez, No Cahones

Apart from being one of the highest-paid men in the world, the captain and talisman of a top Premier League club and basking in the adoration of millions (OK, millions may be a stretch) of City fans, Carlos Tevez is exactly like the poor hunch-backed hero locked away in the tower of Notre Dame. Just ask Sepp Blatter, who a couple of years ago compared the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga to slavery.

Either way, the Community Shield proved conclusively that without the frenzied energy of the Argentine harrying opposition defenders, City have very little to offer up front. Instead, they become a one-man unit with David Silva either creating moves that are never finished or waiting for service that never arrives.

Silva is the only City player by some distance who would be in the starting XI at Arsenal, United or Chelsea: Yaya Toure probably would not and Edin Dzeko's shots-to-goals ratio would probably elicit this sort of response from Sir Alex. Of course, it remains to be seen whether Tevez stays at the club and how effective new signing Sergio Aguero proves to be in the Premier League.

But City fans harbouring illusions that this is their year should keep in mind that a trio of defensive midfielders has never been and will never be the route to a league trophy. For instance, although City allowed two fewer goals than United last season, they scored 14 less!

And it hardly helps that Tevez scored nearly a third of those goals.

4. Sometimes an Ugly Duckling Just Blossoms into an Ugly Duck: Mario Balotelli

If one moment from the Community Shield could encapsulate Mario Balotelli, it was his brief clash with United stalwart Nemanja Vidic. That and moments like these more than confirm Balotelli's star is destined to fizzle out long before his time is up.

The Italian teenager, long labeled a prodigious talent, felt the full weight of the United skipper as he was bundled over from behind. The referee's whistle issued a shrill blast, which should have been the end of it.

Why Balotelli saw the need to rise up and push his forehead into possibly the most frightening face in the Premier League remains a mystery. Almost too predictably, Vidic just stood his ground and Balotelli merely glanced off him.

No one will ever know for sure but this is our best estimate of what went through the young striker's mind at the time:

"

"He bundled me over, the *******! Now what is the dumbest thing I can do? Hmm, the fourth official took away my darts so I guess a head-butt will have to do..."

"

As Mario proceeds to lock foreheads with Vidic and notices the burning blood lust in the Serbian's eyes:

"

"OK everyone knows I'm proper mental, but even I'm not that stupid. Head down, walk away Mario. Head down, walk away..."

"

5. The Future Is Now: Phil Jones and Chris Smalling

To put it concisely, Phil Jones has everything Rio Ferdinand brings to the table in addition to being a tower in the air. Where City had a couple of opportunities through Lescott and Kompany in the first half because Rio Ferdinand looked a little overwhelmed (possibly because it was so early in the season), Jones gave them absolutely nothing at the back for the last 45 minutes.

He looked calm and composed on the ball, picking out midfielders and was happy to exchange a pass or two with his England U21 colleague Chris Smalling.

Smalling in turn had a sensational game. From his timely runs down the right flank (playing out of position too!) to his connection on Ashley Young's cross for the first goal, the meteoric rise of Chris Smalling may soon be complete with him taking over first-team duties.

Both these lads seem ready to challenge Ferdinand and Vidic for first-team positions, and Sir Alex may face the sort of headache every manager craves come the business end of the season.

6. Your Apology Is in the Mail: Anderson

The Brazilian has been at United for some time now and has often been on the receiving end of some harsh criticism, including from yours truly.

But over the past few months, Anderson has quite literally made me (and several others) eat my own vitriol. And now, it is time to raise those hands in apology and admit that Sir Alex was right to place his trust in the Brazilian.

Whether his current form is permanent or just a purple patch remains to be seen, but his frantic work rate coupled with some good passing made Michael Carrick look almost obsolete in the first half. Needless to say, when combined with Tom Cleverley in the second, Anderson was able to beat out the samba rhythm of his choice at will.

Tenacious, talented and long-suffering the side-effects of being partnered with the former Spurs man, this season should see Anderson emerge from the Carrick-shaped cocoon that encased him last year.

However, it is well known that a fully fit Darren Fletcher is one of the first names on Fergie's team sheet, so it remains to be seen if Anderson can successfully pry that position away from the manager's and fans' favourite Red Devil son.

Once again, a heart-felt apology to Anderson for all the vicious comments and stinging comparisons to Kleberson he has endured courtesy of my quill.

7. Sir Alex Is Firmly on Team Jacob...or Team Edward...uh, the Werewolf Team

United's in-house vampire reportedly broke down in tears upon learning that he was not even in the squad traveling to Wembley to face Barcelona in the Champions League Final in May.

And apparently when he discovered that he is now behind even Danny Welbeck in the pecking order, the incandescent Bulgarian dematerialized and with a swish of bat wings, fled into the air vents.

The signs could hardly be clearer: Sir Alex watched Twilight and did not like it. Not one bit. Well, maybe the werewolves.

The rumour, according to Fox Sports Soccer, is that Paris St-Germain, under new Qatari owners, are lining up an ambitious £18-20 million offer for our disenfranchised Bulgarian. While Berbatov has repeatedly vowed to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford, this latest slap in the face could be the straw that breaks his back.

It is a pity as Berbatov has unquestionably shown flashes of sheer bloody (sorry, the pun was just begging to be used) brilliance during his time at United, but patience has run thin with the former Spurs man for his seemingly languid style of play.

There are still several among the Red Army (including yours truly) who love the silky smooth striker and believed their trust was vindicated by his 20-goal haul last season. But that was before the explosion of goals that is Chicharito, relegating the club's top goalscorer to spend most of the season picking splinters out of his hind quarters.

Word from Old Trafford is that if PSG throw in a "Team Jacob" shirt for Sir Alex, it will spell the end at United for the silky-but-sulky, classy-but-lazy, magical-but-miserable talent that is Dimitar Berbatov. And I, for one, will be sorry to see him go.

8. Thriller: Nani

The Portuguese winger has transformed himself so completely from the frustrating nearly-man to the "smooth criminal" that his absence from last season's Player of the Year nominees was fairly conspicuous.

Nani has gone from strength to strength over the last year, and if his preseason form is any indication, he might be in line to do serious damage to Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking goal tally in 2007-08.

Although Nani steadfastly maintains that he has no rivalry with his more illustrious compatriot, breaking his goal tally might well cause Ronaldo to square up his heavily-waxed shoulders and ask if Nani "wanna be startin' somethin."

To call him "dangerous" is an understatement. He can twist and turn the meanest of defenders inside out and—when working in tandem with Rooney, Young, Cleverley and Welbeck—can weave the kind of magic that produced the second United goal.

Nani has displayed some glorious skills coupled with improving awareness, generating waves of Ronaldo-themed nostalgia that causes the Old Trafford faithful to go, "Remember the time...?"

He may not be blessed with the P.Y.T (pretty young thing) looks that made Ronaldo such a marketable player, but as he said when asked what his aim for this season was, "This is it... don't stop till you get enough."

And if that attitude coupled with his prodigious talent are any sign of things to come this season, United fans had better buckle up tight because we are in for quite a thriller.

9. Lose a Two-Goal Lead and Sub off Your Front Man? Roberto Mancini

Roberto Mancini has done well since taking over at Eastlands. However, certain aspects of his footballing philosophy are not well suited to the English game.

The above is essentially a round-about way of saying that parking the bus may work like a charm in Italy, but it has no place in English football. The mentality of players in England is very different from that of the Italian league players, and Mancini will have to adapt some of his defensive-minded tactics to prosper in Manchester.

More to the point, I defy you to name any other manager in England who would have his team retreat further into their shell and play for the draw after losing a two-goal lead.

English players are drilled with that sense of bravado and heart-over-head mentality that encourages them to go for the win and by stifling those instincts (Micah Richards and Adam Johnson to name just two), Mancini is not helping his cause.

In particular, Adam Johnson played a bit-part role at City last season because James Milner was more reliable in a defensive capacity. The youngster showed enough promise to merit a place over Milner, yet his overall development was hindered by his time spent riding pine.

Christopher Columbus waited for neither India nor America to make its way over to him. Alexander the Great did not wait for messengers from distant kingdoms to drop by and ask if he would rule them. And Luis Nani did not sit back in the 94th minute and wait for Vincent Kompany to pass the ball to him.

The abridged version of the saying dictates that "fortune favours the brave." But an extended version reads, "Fortune favours those who get off their sizable gluteus maximus and venture past their own half-way line."

10. That Danish Chap Might Be Worth a Gamble: Anders Lindegaard

Danish shotstopper Anders Lindegaard put on a goal-keeping masterclass during the first half of several preseason games. Even the slightly hard of hearing could hear him bellowing at defenders regardless of seniority or—in the case of Nemanja Vidic—ability to inspire pure terror with just one look.

He pulled off a couple of  brilliant saves against the MLS All Stars and did even better against the Seattle Sounders. He showed good spatial awareness and took command of his six-yard box whenever needed.

The Dane is also 27 years old and with much more experience than David de Gea and significantly further in terms of integration into the United setup, should be the first choice keeper.

Of course de Gea is a stellar keeper. There is no denying that he is physically taller, has more experience in top-flight football and equally effective distribution as Lindegaard. However, moving to Old Trafford under the guillotine of a giant price tag is an unenviable challenge, and he cannot be thrown into the deep end at such a tender age.

De Gea will soon discover that donning the No. 1 jersey at a top club is very different from doing so at a smaller club. At clubs such as United, Barcelona and Real Madrid, the opposition create chances far less frequently than at Atletico Madrid. The goalkeeper then has the added challenge of maintaining his focus through long periods of inactivity.

For example, the young keeper's slow reaction to Edin Dzeko's strike suggests he may not have been completely focused, especially as he had had little to do during the preceding 40 minutes with United dominating possession.

At the very least, de Gea should be allowed time to acclimatize and form an understanding with his defense. If he proves superior to Lindegaard or if the Dane proves to be inconsistent, than the Spaniard should be, given his shot at the No. 1 jersey.

In Conclusion...

While in the past, managers have often used the FA Community Shield as a stage to bleed in younger talent, there was never any doubt about either team putting out the teams they expect to lead their respective title bids.

The match itself proved to be the most exciting Community Shield in years. Even Sir Alex, who had described the match as another stepping stone in preseason, could not resist jumping up and down like a school boy when Nani passed the ball into the net deep in injury time.

And while the Red Devils party their way back, and the Blues lick their wounds, both managers will be furiously scribbling down the changes they must make before the transfer window slams shut.

We do not presume to be the all-knowing entity that governs the world of football—no, that would be His Highness Sepp "Tighter Uniforms for Women" Blatter—but we would like to think that somewhere deep in the bowels of Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium, someone has just burst into the manager's office yelling, "Gaffer, gaffer, you'll never believe what I just read on this website called Bleacher Report!"

To which, we believe, Roberto Mancini will respond with a calm but politely curious:

"

"Ehh, what ees thees gaaferr theeng you say?"

"

Disclaimer

Bleacher Report presumes no knowledge about Dimitar Berbatov's rumoured pre-occupation with blood. We also issue our greatest apology to Nani, who has long endured our cheeky but baseless allusions to the fact that Michael Jackson could well be his extremely pale, surgically altered twin brother with (allegedly) questionable sexual tastes.

Finally, all City fans who managed to read this far must be congratulated on having an open mind. We may also exchange a sympathetic nod, for they must really dread extra time after the treatment they have endured at our hands over the last couple of seasons.