Manchester braces as United and City collide

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Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester becomes the centre of the football universe on Saturday when Jose Mourinho’s United tackle Pep Guardiola’s City in a feverishly anticipated local derby at Old Trafford.

The resumption of hostilities between two of the most celebrated coaches in the game tops the bill, with mega-money signings Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, John Stones and Claudio Bravo providing an all-star supporting cast.

Both teams have won all three of their Premier League fixtures to date and while Mourinho believes it is too early to consider the game in any way decisive, he is well aware the points could be precious in the title race.

“There are many ways to win titles,” said Mourinho, who fought a bitter three-year running battle with then Barcelona-coach Guardiola during his time at Real Madrid.

“Man United last season had very good results against the top teams and finished fifth.

“So sometimes it is not between the title contenders that you win or lose the title. Sometimes you win it by winning matches and matches and matches in the marathon between August to May.

“But obviously when you play against a title contender, the winning team wins three points and stops the other.

“So it is better to do that, or when you get a draw you accept you didn’t lose points to a direct contender. But this is too early — we are in the first week of September.”

The Premier League trophy spent four consecutive years in Manchester between 2011 and 2014, United winning it in 2011 and 2013 and City in 2012 and 2014.

But the Manchester clubs could not match Chelsea’s pace in 2015 and fell off the title map altogether last season, prompting seismic managerial changes on both sides of Manchester.

Guardiola and Mourinho are two of the three best-paid managers in world football — along with Carlo Ancelotti, Guardiola’s successor at Bayern Munich — and they were quick to get to work.

Both have renovated their squads in pointed fashion — Mourinho adding charisma and physical power, Guardiola prioritising youth and ball-playing ability.

And both have hit the ground running.

United are now a more direct side than under Louis van Gaal, Mourinho’s predecessor, and Guardiola, typically, will expect his side to dominate possession.

– Bravo debut –

“I want the ball, I want to attack as much as possible, I want to control the game and I want to concede few counter-attacks,” Guardiola said on Friday.

“I saw in the 10 days (of the international break) the four games and every game Manchester United played better than they did before. I think the same with us.

“They have a lot of talent up front. (Juan) Mata between the lines is so dangerous, the full-backs go so offensive and the quality of (Wayne) Rooney and Ibrahimovic.

“(Anthony) Martial is so, so fast and the set-pieces with tall guys is impossible to control. So they are a top team.”

Guardiola is expected to hand a debut to new Chilean goalkeeper Bravo following his arrival from Barcelona to supplant Joe Hart.

Close-season signings Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan are now fit and could also make their debuts, while right-back Bacary Sagna has declared himself available after a hamstring problem.

But captain Vincent Kompany is doubtful as he continues his recovery from thigh surgery, while striker Sergio Aguero begins a three-match game for elbowing West Ham United’s Winston Reid.

New recruits Ibrahimovic, Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly are all in contention for United.

It will be Pogba’s first major test since his world-record 89 million pounds ($ 118 million, 105 million euros) return from Juventus.

Ibrahimovic will relish coming up against Guardiola, having described him as a “spineless coward” after the pair clashed during the Swedish striker’s time at Barcelona.

Left-back Luke Shaw, right-back Antonio Valencia, midfielder Marouane Fellaini and playmaker Mkhitaryan have all been passed fit after injury scares on international duty.

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United and City make Manchester power play

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Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Featuring the rekindling of Pep Guardiola’s rivalry with Jose Mourinho, an all-star supporting cast and a host of tantalising sub-plots, Saturday’s Manchester derby could be the most feverishly anticipated ever.

The two clubs have competed on an even footing since around 2010, two years after Manchester City’s acquisition by the Abu Dhabi United Group, but they have never hogged the limelight quite so selfishly.

Both have boosted their ranks with big-money signings, both have won their first three games and both see Saturday’s match as an opportunity to stake an early claim for the Premier League title.

“We can sense the expectation all around the city from our supporters,” says City’s German winger Leroy Sane.

“I’ve played in derby games in Germany, but this should be a great match and one I’m really looking forward to, especially because Pep Guardiola is taking on Jose Mourinho.

“It’s going to be exciting and I hope I can play some part and help us bring back three points.”

The Premier League trophy spent four consecutive years in Manchester between 2011 and 2014, Manchester United winning it in 2011 and 2013 and City in 2012 and 2014.

But the Manchester clubs could not match Chelsea’s pace in 2015 and fell off the title map altogether last season, prompting seismic managerial changes on both sides of town.

Guardiola and Mourinho are two of the three best-paid managers in world football — along with Carlo Ancelotti, Guardiola’s successor at Bayern Munich — and they were quick to get to work.

Both have renovated their squads in pointed fashion. Both have hit the ground running.

Up to five City players could get their first experience of the derby at the same time as Guardiola.

Among them, close-season signings Sane and Ilkay Gundogan are now fit, while goalkeeper Claudio Bravo could make his first appearance since arriving from Barcelona to supplant Joe Hart.

Captain Vincent Kompany and right-back Bacary Sagna are also at Guardiola’s disposal after groin and hamstring injuries respectively.

– Rashford raring to go –

But the City manager will go into his first meeting with former Real Madrid nemesis Mourino since 2013 without Sergio Aguero.

The Argentina star, scorer of eight derby goals, is suspended after elbowing West Ham United’s Winston Reid, which could yield a starting berth for teenage Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho.

United, the hosts, are set to offer a first taste of derby action to Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and world-record signing Paul Pogba.

It will be Pogba’s first major test since his 89 million pounds ($ 118.4 million, 105 million euros) return from Juventus, while Ibrahimovic will relish coming up against Guardiola again.

The pair clashed during the Swedish striker’s time at Barcelona, Ibrahimovic describing Guardiola as a “spineless coward” in his autobiography.

Left-back Luke Shaw and midfielder Marouane Fellaini are both due to play despite injury scares on international duty.

However, Henrikh Mkhitaryan — another high-profile recruit — is a doubt with a thigh problem.

The combined value of the two starting XIs is expected to be in the region of 600 million pounds, but a player occupying the thoughts of United’s supporters ahead of the game did not cost a penny.

Marcus Rashford settled the most recent derby, earning United a 1-0 win at the Etihad Stadium in March, and rose from the bench to net a stoppage-time winner at Hull City on their last outing.

Having also notched a hat-trick on his England Under-21s debut against Norway in mid-week, the 18-year-old academy graduate is advancing a strong case for a place in Mourinho’s team.

“Marcus will get opportunities in the first team because he’s that good,” Nicky Butt, head of coaching at the United academy, told The Times.

“Lee Sharpe was the best player in the country as a youngster, but you couldn’t hold Ryan Giggs back much longer.

“If Marcus keeps doing what he’s doing with his pace and directness, it’s impossible to hold him back.”

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Yaya Toure omitted from Manchester City Champions League squad

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Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Out-of-favour Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure will play no part in Manchester City’s Champions League group stage matches after being left out of the squad named on Friday.

The 33-year-old’s sole appearance for City this season has been in the 1-0 victory over Romanian outfit Steaua Bucharest in the second leg of the Champions League play-offs.

Manager Pep Guardiola, who coached him at Barcelona, has deemed him surplus to requirements for the group stage.

City could not include more than 17 non-homegrown players in their Champions League squad and Guardiola still has 18 at his disposal, despite four foreign internationals, Frenchmen Samir Nasri and Eliaquim Mangala among them, leaving before Wednesday’s transfer deadline.

Teams can name up to 25 players in their Champions League squad but City’s lack of homegrown players meant they were only permitted to name a squad of 21.

City have been drawn in Group C with Barcelona, German side Borussia Moenchengladbach and Scottish champions Celtic.

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Serge Ibaka: ‘I never asked to be traded’ from Oklahoma City

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The prevailing narrative surrounding Serge Ibaka this summer seems to be one of a disgruntled big man who was bothered by a marginalized role and wanted out of Oklahoma City, either via trade or via free agency next summer. But Ibaka insists that this wasn’t the case.

In a feature for Sports Illustrated on Tuesday, Ibaka opened up about his wild offseason and put to rest rumors that he was unhappy with the Thunder.

“I never asked to be traded, even though there was a lot of media conjecture that I was unhappy with my role,” Ibaka wrote. “I had an exit meeting with [head coach] Billy Donovan and [general manager] Sam Presti after the season, and both went well. But this is still a business, everybody has to do what’s best for them, and I let my agent deal with the business side of things.

“I just focus on basketball,” Ibaka continued. “I’m not the kind of guy who’s going to go in and ask for a trade, and I would have been happy staying with the Thunder. Playing in the NBA was my dream, and I’d be happy playing anywhere.”

Ibaka was traded to the Orlando Magic on Draft Night 2016, leading to rumors of his discontent in Oklahoma City, which were only stoked by comments made by his agent, Andy Miller.

While Ibaka may never have specifically asked for a trade, the Thunder still had to leverage against the possibility of the three-time All-Defensive First Teamer leaving for nothing in 2017, especially given the (as it turned out, justified) uncertainty at the time regarding Kevin Durant’s free agency.

The 26-year-old will now try to start anew on a Magic team where there could be a lot of competition in the frontcourt next season among him, Bismack Biyombo, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Vucevic.

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Bravo must await debut as City host Hammers

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Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Claudio Bravo must wait to make his Manchester City debut as he prepares to watch his new club’s home Premier League game with West Ham United on Sunday from the stands at the Etihad Stadium.

The Chilean goalkeeper has completed the formalities over his reported £17 million ($ 22 million, 19 million euros) move to the Premier League, but his lack of training with his new team means manager Pep Guardiola has not considered him for a starting place.

That will almost certainly mean more frustration for unwanted England keeper Joe Hart, who has been told he can leave the club, with Willy Caballero poised to keep his starting place, as he has done in the opening two league games under Guardiola.

“He’s fit but he’s not going to play this weekend,” said Guardiola of Bravo.

Guardiola, who will be seeking to make it five wins from five competitive games with City, said Bravo fitted the bill for him as a goalkeeper and added Chilean players have as a rule flourished under his guidance. 

“He has experience, anticipates situations not in the box, in front of the box, good in the build-up plays, quick under the posts, he is a good player for us,” said Guardiola.

“I was lucky to have under my command Chilean players like Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal before and now Claudio Bravo. I spoke to Claudio and he’s going to be a good player for us. 

“I had a good experience with my previous Chilean players and I expect to have it with Claudio as well.

“And with the goalkeeper with more than 100 caps for the national team and a team that can compete with Argentina or Brazil he’s a really good asset for us.”

– Shirt-pulling warning –

Guardiola has almost a fully-fit squad from which to choose, with 30 players having taken part in training on Friday.

His only absentee is teenage striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who suffered a minor hamstring problem in the midweek win over Steaua Bucharest that will sideline him for two weeks.

One area where Guardiola wants his players to pay more attention to is in being mindful of the new rules over shirt-pulling in the penalty area.

“The referees came here and spoke to the players about the new rules so they know that,” said Guardiola.

“But we are going to speak to the players again, I don’t know what is going on, if it is happening more often, more times than it did.” 

Slaven Bilic’s West Ham will head north still smarting from their premature exit from the Europa League at the hands of Astra Giurgiu.

A repeat of last season’s victory at the Etihad Stadium will provide a timely lift, as will the imminent arrival of Juventus striker Simon Zaza.

“It is a boost,” Bilic said of Zaza.

“It was our plan for a long time now to get a top-quality striker and there were a few of them on our list, and Zaza was always mentioned there.”

Bilic also expects Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini to be close to full fitness but will not risk both playmakers.

“Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini, we’re going to know more on Saturday,” said Bilic.

“Maybe one of them will be in the squad for Sunday’s game.

“We still have one training session, but the situation is that after this game we have a couple of weeks and the temptation is not to play them because is it worth the risk?

“Of course if there is no risk we would pick them, but there is a big question mark. Only if there is no risk are we going to use them, and then only one of them.”

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