Whilst salivating and keeping a longing eye on the Champions League trophy that seems more like a mirage since those magical Sir Alex Ferguson days, Manchester United’s reality has been more realistically rooted in winning back dominance in the Premier League with the ultimate aim of being again the best team in the land.
Depending on the results of the coming matches, it is either Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s job, or his successor’s, to take United to that promised Premier League land of milk and honey with this weekend’s Manchester derby not only huge in terms of getting the Reds’ domestic season back on track, but also in terms of saving the Norwegian’s neck from the chopping block.
Although a major portion of the fans are still loyal to the beleaguered manager, the Norwegian is only too well aware that he can ill afford another major debacle at the hands of their rivals like the apocalyptic trouncing handed out by Liverpool at Old Trafford three weeks ago.
That said, the United boss had won everything as a player in his early days with the club and is keen to perpetuate that experience in his managerial capacity at his beloved club. When asked at Friday’s press conference about the possibility, and even potential, of their bitter city rivals opponents Man City this Saturday eclipsing United’s historic achievements in the coming years, the Old Trafford manager did his best to put up some form of resistance.
“With Man United, we are always going to come back,” Solskjaer said, as quoted by ManUtd.com.
“We are always going to think we are the number one club in Manchester, and that also probably means in the world, too.”
Realistically, all sentiments of partisanship aside, City may have been in United’s dominant shadow in now the distant past but there is no denying that they are currently the best team in the land and should remain so among the top few together with the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool, judging from their sustainable form.
With arguably the best coach in England, Pep Guardiola’s City are the reigning champions with reason – which would be a truly difficult thing for any Red to admit, especially one who had grown up within the team’s ranks helping them to secure multiple title triumphs.
“I can’t ever see it happening [City eclipsing United’s success],” he added.
“But at the same time, you have to have respect for what they have done in the last 10 years, and even more so in the last four or five years with how dominant they have been here in England.”