Changing of the Guard in Manchester?

What a sporting week it has been. We've seen the conclusion of the African Cup of Nations, Andy Murray have a great Aussie Open and grabbing all the headlines, a brilliant night at Old Trafford as a pulsating Carling Cup Semi Final Second Leg was played out between the two halves of Manchester. Watching as a neutral, mostly, it was thoroughly entertaining and the 2nd half on Wednesday night was on the best halves this season. Going into the game the question was how close to United on the pitch are City and would a win for the blue half allow them to claim they are the top side in that part of the North West.

For me a City win wouldn't allow that, one result doesn't change the rest of your seasons result, the old league table is the ultimate parameter and so far he says United 2nd, City 6th. What I think did change though was who has the best claim to best derby in the English game. Every major club has that one fixture that they want to win most whether it be in Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, North London, Tyne/Wear, Nottingham, Bristol the list goes on. In my opinion there are three of those that can claim to be the best, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield, ok maybe I'm a bit biased on the last one which is definatly the most underrated. Before Wednesday I would have said that Liverpool and Everton was England's best derby, there was and still is something about it that put it above others. But not anymore, seeing two sides give 100% to win the game in a competition regarded nowhere as near important as the FA Cup or League was fascinating. The 4-3 Old Trafford league fixture was the first of three classic games we have seen between the two sides this season and every single one has seen 22 plus players giving everything.

It's obvious that Man City's affluence has made this happen. SAF said earlier that he now considers them to worthy rivals on the pitch as opposed to a side looking to establish themselves in the Premier League and end years of going between there and Division One as it was then. The return fixture at Eastlands later this season will once again be a fantastic game and personally it the one club fixture I am looking forward to the most that doesn't involve my own Sheffield United.

One final note sadly leads to something off the pitch and the Terry saga that is of course being embroiled in the papers. Questions are now being raised as to whether he should be England captain or not in the summer. For me the situation in my mind is clear, do I care what this sportsman gets up to in his spare time? No, and do I hold him as a role model which would make me care about him in that way? No, do I want a fully focused John Terry in defence in South Africa? Yes, so media-type, leave the bloke alone but of course they won't. Next week of course is the start of the Six Nations, more on that next week, can't wait.