Andy's Wednesday tips - Man Utd to draw
The first Manchester derby of the season promises to be a feisty affair and it's very difficult to predict which way things will go. Regardless, this will be massive night at Eastlands for both sides.
Manchester United have started to find their rhythm of late while some disappointing results have silenced the noisy neighbours across town. Too many worrying stories have emerged from Eastlands, with rumours of disharmony in the camp and dismay at Roberto Mancini's training methods.
Could he go if they lose to Manchester United at home? I don't see why he should. The last thing City need is a revolving door on the manager's office as Real Madrid have had in recent years. If City believe in Mancini, they should stick with him. The speculation and rumours are a bad sign for City though as they need a settled dressing room if they are to mount a serious title challenge. I said at the start of the season that their problem could turn out to be clashing egos and so it's proving.
Players really do have too much too say for themselves these days - even when they're being paid £100,000-plus they think they can say what they like about the club. They need to focus on playing for Manchester City and Wednesday night would be the perfect time to start.
It will be tough for United to go to Eastlands and win, as they did last season. They are not at their best, City showed that they can beat the best when they overcame Chelsea and I think United would not be unhappy with a draw. Sir Alex Ferguson may play with Dimitar Berbatov as the lone striker if he recovers from a virus but if he's feeling confident and believes three points is a realistic target then he could start Javier Hernandez alongside the Bulgarian.
I said in the summer that I was intrigued by Hernandez and so far he hasn't disappointed. He's not daunted by the big occasion either and knows how to score important goals. This could be his night.
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Back the draw at [3.3]
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Andy Gray is now on Twitter so follow him for his exclusive tips and his take on the biggest stories in football each week.
Published: 10 Nov 2010
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