A Manchester City title win is the lesser of two evils for Man United fans, as a new rivalry begins to take root
- Faded Manchester United no longer represent the biggest threat to either of their main local rivals
- Manchester City supporters would hate to lose the title to Liverpool on the final day after bus attack
The Stretford and Urmston branch of the Manchester City supporters club call themselves the “Blues in Bandit Country” since there are more United fans in the area immediately west of Old Trafford. They’ve travelled to games for years and they’re quite enjoying being surrounded by Reds right now, but there was a nervousness on their bus on Monday evening as they made their way towards the game against Leicester City.
“We heard the team and not everyone was convinced about Vincent Kompany facing the pace of Jamie Vardy,” Steven Craven said. “Vinny’s a legend, the greatest defender our club has ever had. When he plays, he plays well. You always feel safer with him on the pitch because he has the leadership qualities which nobody else has, but he’s injured a lot and struggles with three games a month, let alone three a week. He’s not got the pace he had and he tends to dive in a little bit.”
Kompany has started half Kyle Walker’s 32 league games this season, but Pep Guardiola still trusts him in some of the biggest moments over John Stones.
“Vinny is a threat at corners and we were running out of time the lad next to me said, ‘I’d love if Vinny got his head on one of these corners’,” Craven said. “A minute later he struck the ball from outside the box into the top corner. He’s not taken a shot from outside the box since 2013. It was odd, it was like he got sick of all anxiety and nervousness and just belted it. We weren’t playing well, there was only 20 minutes left and we wondered where the goal was going to come from and then he hit that beautiful strike. I was right behind it behind the goal. I don’t think he meant it, I think he was aiming for the other corner, but it doesn’t matter. It was his first goal of the season and felt like a very big moment.”
Kompany had not scored from outside the box since 2007 when he played at his former club SV Hamburg. The Belgian, 33, is out of contract in a few weeks. Monday may have been his last game at the Etihad. He gathered his kids on the pitch before and after the game and has a testimonial planned for September.