A good time to play City?
With the Blues suffering two defeats in three games and having 10 players injured, United must surely think so.
Sunday’s 197th Manchester derby offers the Devils a rare chance to get their stuttering season up and running.
City fans might be thinking along similar lines.
And both sets of fans can agree that there’s a bit more riding on this than on the bore fest the last time the teams met in April.
United’s win over Burnley came too late to banish the horrors of Grimsby, while the transfer window was confused, incomplete and hit and miss.
A £60m hit was taken on Antony, £200m was spent on three attackers, while bomb squad members are still around.
Oh, and a goalkeeper few had heard of was signed.
But United should take heart from two games against City in 2024.
In the FA Cup final, United stifled the passing carousel so effectively that they saved manager Eric ten Hag.
And then came that last visit to the Etihad with the sensational Amad Diallo-inspired turnaround.
In fact, United have held their own with City throughout Pep Guardiola’s time in charge.
The two have met nine times in the league, with each side claiming four wins and one draw.
It’s a better-than-par performance against the great man, so going into his lair on Sunday night should hold no fears for Ruben Amorim’s side.
And if they can maintain the positive thinking, even being out of Europe for the season can be seen as an advantage.
Whereas Pep will be mindful of a tricky Champions League visit from Napoli in midweek, Amorim will only be on the training ground.
Maybe, just maybe, a designated trio will finally “get” three-at-the-back.
But let’s not get carried away. City also has positives if we give a wide berth to the treatment room.
They now boast arguably the world’s best goalkeeper, and Erling Haaland warmed up with five goals for Norway this week.
It must be said that Gianluigi Donnarumma, captaining Italy in a World Cup qualifier, let in four goals in a chaotic 5-4 win over Israel.
Two were own goals, but according to Associated Press, the keeper did make “some glaring errors”.
Providing Donnarumma has not been shaken by the experience, and Haaland has not used up his month’s goals ration, both should be facing United.
United also looked at the Italian, as they did Argentina’s World Cup hero, Emi Martinez of Aston Villa.
But instead of either world-class keeper, they opted for someone few fans had heard of.
The recruitment department insists that Belgium’s Senne Lammens, 23, can be the Devils’ keeper for the next decade.
Perhaps they should check Donnarumma’s age: despite being around a long time – he played for Milan at 16 and Italy at 17 – he’s only 26.
Similar claims were made when they chose Rasmus Hojland over Harry Kane. And like Hojlund, Lammens cost only a bit less.
Last week, Rio Ferdinand called missing out on Kane “United’s biggest mistake in modern times”. There have been a few.
Off the field, there was good news for City, with an agreement being reached with the EPL over Associated Party Transaction (APT) Rules.
Nope, it’s not the big one over 115 charges, but it’s about sponsorship deals with companies linked to the club’s ownership.
And so for City, it means a new mega sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways can be done.
It also suggests that they are not going to be relegated when the verdict is made.
The deal is a reminder that when it comes to ownership nous and financial clout, City are in a different league to the ham-fisted, joint-regime of Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers.
As for the managers, both are under enormous – and somewhat self-inflicted – pressure.
If Amorim weren’t so stubborn tactically, there’s a feeling that he would be doing better.
While Pep, whose 18 trophies in nine years brook no argument about his greatness, renewed his contract for possibly his most difficult challenge yet – the City rebuild.
It began in January with a spend of more (£180m) than the rest of the EPL combined in a knee-jerk response to their unexpected wobble.
Another £200m was lavished in the summer, and a few top recruits have joined, but City are still nowhere near their imperious Treble-winning pomp.
They will be desperate to bounce back from their shock loss to Brighton last time out, but will be without some of their big names.
Most worrying is that star striker Omar Marmoush was injured playing for Egypt and could be out for a while.
Rayan Cherki and Mateo Kovacic remain long-term absentees, while John Stones, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rico Lewis, Nico O’Reilly and Abdukodir Khusanov, all withdrew from international duty this week.
But Josko Gvardiol, Phil Foden and Savinho should return.
Pep will be wary of rushing players back with the Italian champions next up.
A feisty, physical derby is the last thing he needs, but that is another reason United might fancy their chances.
They, too, have concerns. Lisandro Martinez is still out with a serious knee injury sustained last season.
Matheus Cunha suffered a hamstring injury against Burnley, so skipped playing for Brazil, but the issue may not be as bad as feared.
Also crocked against the Clarets was Mason Mount, who has started each EPL game so far. He might also be back, as could Diogo Dalot, who didn’t play for Portugal in midweek.
But more interest will be in who’s wearing the gloves with both sets of fans anxious to get a first look at the new custodians.
With the raucous atmosphere, greater physicality and new surroundings, for both it could be a baptism of fire.
The managers will also be feeling the heat.
Amorim, although personally liked by Ratcliffe, needs to have United in the top half of the table at the very least by year’s end or he could be another casualty.
Pep is never going to be sacked by the Abu Dhabi owners. But if he can’t get the side to click well enough to win silverware this season, he may call it a day.
After all, he doesn’t have anything to prove – unlike his Portuguese counterpart.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
