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Footballers and their managers frequently subscribe to the hard-nosed, if often misguided, school of thought which claims “history is bunk”. Happily Sir Alex Ferguson is old enough to know better and will surely have felt a shiver of anticipation when Manchester United were drawn to play at Southampton in the third round.

Despite Southampton’s current travails amid the lower reaches of the Championship, it remains an evocative fixture. Quite apart from the fact that it is not so long ago since Ferguson’s side went through a period of repeated struggles on the South Coast, the tie revives memories of the 1976 final and Southampton’s 1–0 Wembley win.

It is also arguably the pick of a round in which Preston North End v Liverpool and Macclesfield v Everton also promise to be intriguing and Derby County’s still somewhat beleaguered manager Paul Jewell will surely not relish taking his Championship ensemble to Forest Green Rovers of the Blue Square Premier League.

Even so, the slightly underwhelmed expressions on the faces of the non-league Histon ­players reacting to their pairing with Swansea was probably emulated at clubs around the country following a rather disappointing draw.

Yet if it lacks obvious wow factor the third round is not entirely bereft of romance. Watford v Scunthorpe may, for instance, lack widespread appeal but will be a hugely poignant game for Graham Taylor, the former England, Watford and Aston Villa manager who grew up supporting Scunthorpe where his father reported on the club’s fortunes for the local newspaper. “Scunthorpe is the only club where I’ve stood on the terraces as a supporter but I love Watford so I can only lose,” said Taylor yesterday. “But it’s definitely the tie of the round.”

Brian Keen, the chairman of Blue Square Premier League side Barrow was equally enthusiastic about his side’s trip to Middlesbrough. “The North-east coast, the glorious beaches, the Riverside Stadium, what more could you want?” he demanded on learning his one-time Football League club would face top-flight opposition for the first time in 42 years.

After accomplishing a minor shock by overcoming a Wycombe side managed by the former England Under-21 coach Peter Taylor and currently topping League Two, Eastwood Town of the Northern Premier League will visit either Notts County or Kettering. At first glance that seems a somewhat meagre reward but, as a former Notts County player, Paul Cox, the Eastwood manager, is ecstatic — providing, of course, his old side win their replay against Kettering. “It’s a dream come true for me,” said Cox, who still lives in ­Nottingham. “It’s just fabulous but I’m keeping my fingers crossed County ­actually beat Kettering.”

Phil Brown, too, will relish renewing old acquaintance. The Hull City manager’s side are at home to Newcastle United, who they have already beaten away in the Premier League this season. A son of South Shields, Brown particularly relishes wins against Newcastle in the wake of his experience of being beaten up at St James’ Park while cheering Sunderland on as a boy.

If parochial pride will fill the St Andrew’s air when Birmingham City and Wolves meet in early January, Chelsea v Southend and Arsenal v Plymouth would be potentially more exciting if the balls had been drawn in reverse order. It should, nonetheless, be fascinating to see whether Luiz Felipe Scolari and Arsène Wenger field first-teamers or experiment with youth.

Selection gambles are, however, unlikely at Blyth Spartans ranks when the Blue Square North side host Bournemouth in a replay carrying the prize of a home date against Paul Ince’s Blackburn Rovers.

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Cristiano Ronaldo may need to be convinced but, when the dust settles, Manchester United will cherish the day they reminded their nouveaux riches neighbours who should be known, in the words of the match-winner Wayne Rooney, as “the real kings of Manchester”.

Ronaldo’s red card removed some of the gloss but, ultimately, that kind of thing is only a minor irritation when you have just beaten the club who have been shouting from the rooftops about changing the order of world football.

A club with United’s priorities will not mind too much, either, about the £50,000 fine that will automatically be handed out by the Football Association as this was the second time this season they have collected six or more yellow cards in a match. Do not put money on United winning the Fair Play League but, equally, think twice before questioning whether they have the battling qualities to come from behind in this season’s title race.

They won the 150th Mancunian derby because they passed the ball better and had a centre-forward who decided he had waited long enough to score the 100th goal of his career. Wayne Rooney was the outstanding performer, although an honorary mention goes to Michael Carrick. Between them, they dictated the pattern of a game in which the margin of victory was flattering to Mark Hughes’s team.

The reason for that owes partly to Robinho’s inability to impose himself. This was his weakest game since moving to England and, at times, he looked as though he was struggling from an old ankle injury. Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips, City’s other main threats, flickered sporadically, and the home side did not really pose any threat until another Brazilian, Elano, came on at half-time.

His introduction with Pablo Zabaleta was an admission on Hughes’s part that the first half had been horribly one-sided. Rooney was having one of those days when he shimmered with menace every time he took the ball. Park Ji-Sung was busy and effective and Ronaldo started off in great form, always wanting the ball and full of positive running.

Rooney would be left to reflect on a hugely satisfying day’s work, scoring the game’s decisive moment after City’s goalkeeper, Joe Hart, had parried Carrick’s left-foot drive. For Ronaldo, however, everything would change during the space of 10 second-half minutes.

His first aberration was to clip Wright-Phillips’s heels, cutting short a counter-attack and earning him his first yellow card from the referee Howard Webb. It could have turned into red if Webb had taken a dim view of Ronaldo sarcastically applauding the decision. Instead, his exit was sealed when Rooney swung over a corner and the runaway favourite to be named European footballer of the year tomorrow inexplicably decided to bat down the ball with both hands.

Why he did it, only he will know. Ronaldo can be devastating in the air and the opportunity was there to have a go at goal. His argument was that he had been pushed by Micah Richards but there was minimal contact, certainly not enough to make him lose the trajectory of the ball. He took an age to leave the pitch and, on the way, complained that he had tried to stop play after hearing what he thought was the referee’s whistle. Again, it did not wash.

City’s fans enjoyed the moment but it was a small victory. Hughes will look back on that moment, in the third minute of stoppage time, when a combination of Edwin van der Sar’s left hand and Patrice Evra’s boot blocked Richard Dunne’s effort on the goal-line, denying him an improbable equaliser. The home side will also reflect on Ireland hitting a post after Van der Sar’s unconvincing punch, just after the half-hour mark.

These, however, were isolated moments on a day when, for every chance that City created, United had three. Even after Dunne’s late chance the team in red elegantly counter-attacked and, alert as ever, Rooney noticed that Joe Hart was still running back after coming forward for the last attack. The striker lofted a wonderfully measured shot from just inside City’s half, but the ball was in the air long enough for Hart to get back and stop it dropping just under the crossbar. Even so, United are entitled to think they have reminded City of their place.

Man of the match: Wayne Rooney

(Manchester United)

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United will travel to the south coast for the FA Cup third round.

Reds goalscorer Wayne Rooney was thrilled to beat City at Eastlands.

Sir Alex was delighted by his side’s fully committed display at City.

Wayne Rooney’s goal saw United claim all three points at Eastlands.

It’s a derby match, a tribal collision between two old rivals and, OK, in the heat of the moment, rational people say and do things they would never dream of in normal life. But ever had the feeling you’ve just been had?

When Manchester City’s fans travelled to Old Trafford in February for the game that marked the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster even their own supporters’ club secretary was so concerned he wrote to Manchester United asking them to abandon plans for a minute’s silence.

“We think it is obvious that if there is a minute’s silence some fool will interrupt it,” Kevin Parker wrote. “This will reflect very badly not only on Manchester City but on Manchester and football supporters in general.”

As it turned out, City’s supporters did themselves proud. There is still an element of mystery about who let off fireworks outside the ground but, inside, the 3,000 people in the away end all respected the silence. “We are impeccable,” they later sang, and who could disagree?

And, yet, wind forward nine months and suddenly it is all exposed as a one-off. A con. The game had not kicked off when the first City supporters in close vicinity to the away end could be seen doing pretend aeroplane gestures. OK, there were only half a dozen of them. But there were significantly more, 16 minutes into the game, who were calling Nemanja Vidic a “dirty Munich bastard” (after Micah Richards had actually sunk his studs into his opponent’s chest). And, again, five minutes later when we got a rendition of “same old Munichs, always cheating.” You get the idea.

Football is tribal. These occasions are no place for softies and there are many people, myself included, who remember the old days and wish the Premier League wasn’t such a plastic experience. But it is a pretty strange set of circumstances - and does this really need pointing out? - that leads anyone to mock a disaster that killed 23 people and devastated a great city (and beyond).

It embarrasses the club. It embarrasses many of their supporters. And it embarrasses all those proud old players who grew up as mates of the eight members of Matt Busby’s team who died.

Maybe the perpetrators don’t realise how it sounds to someone like Sir Bobby Charlton in the directors’ box. Or maybe they do, and that’s the point. But let’s not forget that one of their own also died on that snowy runway in Bavaria on February 6, 1958 - City’s former goalkeeper, Frank Swift, who was on the plane in his new role as a football reporter.

“We are impeccable”? Sorry, but it’s not only Cristiano Ronaldo who needs to take a long hard look at himself today.

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Wayne Rooney’s 100th goal gave United victory but Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off

Can City put another dent in United’s title hopes? Find out with John Ashdown from 1pm

Barrow are drawn away to Middlesbrough in the stand-out tie of the FA Cup third round draw.

Sometimes it takes a fresh pair of eyes to see properly what is staring you in the face, and Fernando Torres has just been extremely complimentary about top-level football in England.

‘The Premier League is way ahead of the Spanish League,’ the Liverpool striker said. ‘You go to a team in the relegation zone and you find yourself playing on a perfect pitch, with the stands full to bursting and opponents who are there to play football. Even if they lose, the crowd are going to cheer them on until the death. You see this only in British football. It isn’t easy to adapt, but once you have you would have trouble wanting to play anywhere else.’

So even if attendances have started to dip due to the economic climate, the number of empty seats ought to be put into perspective. Entertainment as a form of escapism usually does well during depressions and, though more expensive than it ought to be when compared with other leagues across Europe, the basic health of football in this country is still measurable at the turnstiles. Manchester City may be struggling to sell out today’s derby, but Eastlands attendances are up on last season. Manchester United regularly falling a mere 1,000 short of Old Trafford’s 76,180 capacity is hardly a calamity either and, though it has been claimed that Chelsea’s game against Arsenal this afternoon has not sold out, the only seats available on the website on Thursday cost £650 each and involved dinner with Graeme Le Saux and Mark Ramprakash. That’s as near to a sell-out as makes no difference.

There may be swathes of empty seats elsewhere, though Blackburn and Wigan are a hard sell at the best of times, and this is clearly not that. Newcastle and Sunderland are still getting respectable crowds despite their patchy form and, thanks to free beer and other occasional gimmicks, Bolton’s gates have gone up. Rightly alarmed at failing to sell out against Liverpool and Manchester United, Everton were the first to do the square thing by their fans and immediately pass on the reduction in the VAT rate, yet there were only pockets of unoccupied seats for both of those games and had supporters realised tickets were still available more would have been snapped up.

The demand is still there, in other words, it is just a matter of clubs adjusting their prices downwards, which many seem prepared to do. Tickets are getting cheaper. Most clubs outside the Champions League bracket now have affordable deals on season tickets and many are actively targeting younger supporters with cheap deals for kids. Ironically, it is only the extremely well supported clubs, such as Liverpool and Manchester United, where non-season-ticket-holding parents find it almost impossible to obtain tickets on the open market to introduce their children to the experience of a live game.

That is the price of Champions League football, if you like, or, to put it another way, the cost of Torres’s wages. The compensation is that outside the top four, indeed outside the Premier League, the big-match experience is still available a long way down the divisions. There was no need for Torres to stop at the Premier League relegation zone in his survey of enthusiasm for football in England. Last Tuesday night, a bitterly cold one as it happens, 27,111 watched Sheffield United v Wolves in the Championship, 25,534 saw Derby v Preston and 24,032 turned up for Norwich v Crystal Palace. Those attendances were greater than half a dozen Champions League gates last week (no, I am not including the empty stadium for Atlético Madrid v PSV), and Bramall Lane even topped the crowd for Villarreal v Manchester United. In League One on the same evening, that’s the Third Division in old money, 16,961 watched Leicester beat Crewe and more than 10,000 saw Huddersfield lose at home to Orient.

This happens to be the Terriers’ centenary season, and Huddersfield supporters have been taking advantage of season tickets at a special price of £100. Doubtless they were partly inspired by the success of the pioneering scheme a few miles down the road at Bradford, where season tickets were made available at rock-bottom prices once sufficient numbers of fans signed a pledge to buy them. Even now, the Tykes’ crowds set them apart from the rest of League Two. There were only 1,182 spectators at Macclesfield on Tuesday, 2,416 at Darlington and 2,625 at Aldershot, yet 12,145 saw the five-goal thriller between Bradford and Chesterfield. This is the bottom tier of English League football, remember, three whole divisions below the level Torres inhabits - more if you go along with the idea that the top four are in a league of their own - and Bradford drew a bigger crowd than a couple of Thursday’s Uefa Cup games.

This is not to suggest England is the cheapest place to watch football, or the country with the biggest attendances. Germany is still the place to be if you wish to see top-level football at a bargain price. Bayern Munich’s 69,000 seat Allianz Arena sells out most weeks, hardly surprising for a state-of-the-art venue with a Champions League side where prices start at just €12 (£10) and even the most expensive seats are only €60. Most other German teams are even cheaper to watch, and most play to capacity crowds more often than not, although, with budgets constrained both by pricing policy and a ban on foreign investment, the Bundesliga lacks the star quality (and the staggering salaries) of the Premier League. German clubs may not be the international forces they once were but, within the country, football is affordable and demonstrably popular.

While, to some extent, England offers the best of both worlds, with its leading teams beginning to dominate the Champions League and even fourth-tier clubs pulling in five-figure gates, no one would pretend that trying to watch the top clubs is easy or affordable. A survey has just calculated that the average price of admission in England is €43, which does not sound too bad compared to €27 in Italy and €40 in Spain, but for that money you could only get to see an average team. The same survey also worked out, more pertinently, that it cost almost three times as much (€67) to watch Chelsea v Bordeaux as the €23 it cost to watch Bordeaux v Chelsea. On the other hand, Chelsea could be worth three times more than Bordeaux. They’ve got a decent chance of winning the League, for a start, and they have proved fairly handy in Europe. Even at €67 they could still be a bargain, though you will have to make up your own mind about £650 for Le Saux and Ramprakash.

Ronaldo’s made his own bed

‘Systematic fouling is happening now, it’s a tactic,’ Sir Alex Ferguson fumed in Spain in his increasingly desperate attempt to protect the reputation and preserve the limbs of Cristiano Ronaldo. ‘If the referee does his job that’s sufficient. The problem is the press don’t do enough.’

Truly the pen must be mightier than the knee-high studs-up challenge. What would Fergie have the press box do in today’s Manchester derby? Invade the pitch? Round up a posse? Or perhaps the United manager thinks newspaper snappers ought to stop congregating around goalmouths waiting for a score and start focusing on Ronaldo’s ankles, where most of the real action now takes place.

At a guess, Ferguson probably wishes the media would stop portraying his star player as a big girl’s blouse, and show some sympathy with the view that he is more sinned against than sinning. It is currently easy for referees to ignore fouls on this week’s likely winner of the Ballon d’Or, one imagines the reasoning goes, because his reputation for histrionics goes before him.

It is a moot point how much of that is the fault of the press but, in the spirit of goodwill, here goes anyway. In United’s last league game, at Aston Villa, there were several instances where Ronaldo was kicked or fouled and got nothing from the referee. There were also, it is only fair to say, occasions where Ronaldo clearly wanted something from the referee without being kicked or fouled. The real problem here is that it is enormously difficult to spot the difference.

Ronaldo doesn’t do am-dram then apologise, like Wayne Rooney. He’s quick and he’s convincing and must be a nightmare to referee. He is not the diver he once was, it would be churlish to pretend otherwise, but if he intends to proceed on a win some/lose some basis then so too should his manager.

It’s not a knock-out

This is not another puff for Harry Redknapp as Sports Personality of the Year, honestly. But how refreshing to hear someone with the same opinion of the Mickey Mouse, more-trouble-than-it’s-worth Uefa Cup as most fans.

‘Everyone wants to be in this competition then half of them want to get out of it,’ the Spurs manager said. ‘With three teams going through from five in the group, it’s difficult not to qualify. I just keep thinking it’s more games. I’d rather have the knockout format.’

Well said. And the Champions League rejects haven’t even joined in yet.

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Mark Hughes is the 13th Manchester City manager to pit his wits against Sir Alex Ferguson in the battle for Mancunian supremacy, and the first with personal experience of playing under the old firebreather at Old Trafford.

Unlucky for some? The two managers make an irresistible sub-plot to the 150th Manchester derby this afternoon, because Hughes has only been in the job five minutes and has already been made nervous by City’s faltering form, whereas his former mentor has just announced his intention to carry on forever.

Ferguson did not say that in so many words and also stopped short of indicating he would have to be carried out of Carrington in a box, though he did concede that contrary to his last statement on the subject he might go on managing into his seventies after all.

‘I don’t know what I’m going to do or when I’m going to go, it’s very difficult to say,’ the Manchester United manager, who turns 67 next month, said. ‘My only plan at the moment is not to have a plan. I don’t ever think about retiring any more, I’m not going to put myself into that situation. I’ve stopped thinking, “Should I go this season or next?” You’re not forced to retire now, after all. If your health is all right and your team is doing well there’s no reason not to carry on. There’s no pressure on me, and what there is doesn’t come from the supporters it comes from the media. If United have another 0-0 draw I should have retired three weeks ago.’

Ferguson says he will know when it is time to go and promises to keep the club informed. ‘I’ll send them a letter,’ he joked. ‘Tell them I’ve left. I really don’t know what will happen, though, because you can’t just wake up one day and decide to finish. The ideal time to retire, if you are going to retire, would be at the end of summer. I always tell players never to retire at the end of a season. I remember Billy McNeill did that, he thought he’d had enough but all he needed was a rest. By the end of summer he was ready to go again. Sometimes all you need is a holiday and you’re looking forward to training again. The day you come back off your break and think, “Oh no, not another training session,” is when you should think about retiring, but it’s not happened to me yet. I love training. The only thing I will say is what I’ve said before - you do need your health in this job. If my health deteriorates that solves the problem for everybody. You’ll be rid of me for good.’

Without wishing premature conclusions to either of their careers, it is not too difficult to envisage Ferguson being around longer than his younger, fresher City counterpart. Certainly Hughes is the one with everything to prove. Given the frantic activity on the last day of summer trading, a lot depends on what City manage to achieve in the January transfer window. ‘We would like to think we can do some business early in the window,’ Hughes said. ‘We don’t want to be rushing around on the last day again. We are reasonably confident we will be able to bring in some good players in January, though not necessarily enough to take us where we want to go. Manchester United have had huge investment for 20-odd years now, we’ve had it for about 10 hours. It might take a number of transfer windows before we are ready to challenge for the top honours. Sir Alex is right to say his rivals for the title are Chelsea and Liverpool. City aren’t in the equation at the moment, but that will change in the future. We are not United’s main rivals yet, but we will be.’

If City put their money where their mouth is, they probably will, though again, the part Hughes plays in the project will be determined by his success or otherwise at buying players in January and raising the level of consistency before the end of the season. There is no doubt Hughes played the market well during his time at Blackburn, what he must do now is dispel the suspicion that he is happier hunting for bargains than splashing ostentatious amounts of cash. ‘As long as Mark remains in control of who is signed he’ll be all right,’ Ferguson said.

Hughes bristled slightly when he heard that Ferguson had called for more protection for Cristiano Ronaldo - ‘That’s a bit predictable, I don’t know if he’s seen City recently but we haven’t got any physically intimidating players’ - but calmed down on realising the United manager was concerned about provocation from the fans. Rightly or wrongly, Ferguson feels Ronaldo’s unpopularity with rival supporters is influencing the number of refereeing decisions going his way at the moment. ‘If that is the case it is a consequence of his actions in the past,’ Hughes said. ‘He might not go over as easily as he once did but fans have long memories. He is a fantastic player though, an outstanding talent.’

At least both managers can agree on that. Just as well, since Ronaldo is expected to pick up the Ballon d’Or - for being European Footballer of the Year - this week for his remarkable 42-goal contribution to United’s double success last season. ‘He’s not a cheat, he’s just a naturally brave boy who always wants the ball at his feet,’ Ferguson said. ‘He puts up with being kicked, just like all the great players have to do. Pelé and Maradona used to get kicked. Cristiano gets kicked so often you start to wonder who is really getting away with cheating, but he always comes back and he scores some really great goals. Even with his head, which is unusual for a winger. The one he scored against Roma last season, for instance. When did you last see a header like that? It reminded me of Tommy Lawton. He’s a throwback. He deserves the award without question. We’re all delighted for the boy.’

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SIR Alex Ferguson defended Cristiano Ronaldo over the red card incident that has soured the week in which he is expected to be crowned European Footballer of the Year.

SIR Alex Ferguson defended Cristiano Ronaldo over the red card incident that has soured the week in which he is expected to be crowned European Footballer of the Year.

TO a scouser the freedom of at least half the city of Manchester.

United reporter Stuart Mathieson rates the Reds after the 1-0 away win over City

UNITED manager Sir Alex Ferguson praised his side’s concentration after a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in this afternoon’s derby at Eastlands.

THE 150th Manchester derby is taking place at Eastlands today. Follow all the action live on our website, updated every 15 minutes.

THE 150th Manchester derby is taking place at Eastlands today. Follow all the action live on our website, updated every 15 minutes.

THE 150th Manchester derby is taking place at Eastlands today. Follow all the action live on our website, updated every 15 minutes.

Mark Hughes’ men are brimming with confidence ahead of the Manchester derby.

Rio Ferdinand can’t bear the thought of City winning trophies.

The glasses were being collected for the final time when Ned Kelly, then Manchester United’s head of security, bumped into Mark Hughes in a Manchester nightclub one summer’s evening in 1995. Hughes had just severed his ties with Old Trafford to join Chelsea and was out with his wife, Jill. But Kelly remembers the mood was tense.

“Whether it was the lateness of the hour, the strength of the alcohol, or something he had read in the memoirs of Alex Ferguson, Sparky wanted to talk only about his former manager,” Kelly recalls in his book Manchester United - The Untold Story. “‘Fergie never really rated me as a player,’ he complained. ‘I was only brought back from Barcelona to keep the fans happy.’”

Kelly remembers telling Hughes “that’s bollocks”, but to no avail. “Mark refused to listen. He was more interested in berating Fergie. It was sad that one of Old Trafford’s most hard-working players who had given such sterling service to the club had spent all those years believing his manager had thought so little of him.”

It is an anecdote that might partly explain why, 13 years later, there is still a certain coolness when Hughes and Ferguson are required to talk about one another. Respect? Yes. But little affection. “We will have a glass of wine after Sunday’s game,” said Ferguson, but the United manager was happy to concede they were not particularly close. There have been fractious moments when Hughes was in charge of Blackburn Rovers and, tellingly, Ferguson later revealed they had not spoken since his former player took over at Manchester City in June.

“It is not as if I phone all the ex-players who are now managers to ask how they are getting on,” he said. “Some give me a call now and again and ask for advice, but we all have our own job to do. They all have their own friends and they are all younger than me, of course. It is not as if they are all going to be my best friends. Maybe they will respect me because I was their manager but, in terms of close friendships, they will have it with each other, not me, because I am not their age level. I’m a granddad.”

He is, however, in regular contact with the likes of Steve Bruce, Roy Keane and Paul Ince. One of Ferguson’s more endearing traits is that, as a League Managers’ Association committee member, he usually makes it his business to welcome new managers into the Premier League. Instead, he has spent much of the past few months sniping about Hughes’s new employers, including the withering observation earlier this season that they could be dismissed as “all talk”.

Each pronouncement has met with a wry smile and roll of the eyes from Hughes. “We will just get on with our business,” he said yesterday. “They [United] are getting asked more questions about us than in the past and are within their rights to answer how they want. Sometimes their responses will be considered, sometimes they will be a bit dismissive. But we have to accept that.”

People close to Hughes say he is more irritated by Ferguson’s remarks than he is willing to admit publicly. Hughes did, however, refer to a 4-3 victory for Blackburn over United in February 2006, and specifically the public disagreement with Ferguson that followed. “I will always protect my club. Sir Alex was a bit critical of the approach of some of my players and he singled out Andy Todd which I thought was unfair at the time and I said so.”

It led to an angry exchange with Ferguson over the telephone, although Hughes now shrugs it off. “You have to understand that the top managers don’t get beaten very often, so sometimes they don’t take it as well as others. Managers, myself included, have to get used to getting beaten sometimes.”

Meanwhile, Manchester United have been granted a work permit to sign the 21-year-old Serbia international Zoran Tosic from Partizan Belgrade in January. Tosic has appeared 12 times for his country and can play on either flank. He will join his fellow countryman Nemanja Vidic at Old Trafford, while another Partizan player, Adem Ljajic - a 19-year-old dubbed the “Serbian Kaka” - is also thought to be in talks with United.

Derby delights for City

March 27 1968

Man Utd 1 Man City 3

City not only removed the reigning champions from the top of the table but helped to secure the title for themselves. United midfielder Paddy Crerand: “We thought we were going to win the title again. But City went on to win by two points from us.”

April 27 1974

Man Utd 0 Man City 1

The last day of the season saw United defector Denis Law, below left, backheel City’s winner in the last 10 minutes, speeding United’s relegation. United manager Tommy Docherty: “The fans ran on and the game was stopped four or five minutes earlier than it should have. But I don’t think that made any difference.”

Sept 9 1989

Man City 5 Man Utd 1

Before its demolition, Maine Road witnessed one of Alex Ferguson’s “most embarrassing” defeats of his career. City outplayed United in every aspect of the game. Ferguson, who left the pitch to chants of “Fergie out”, said: “We were slaughtered.”

Jan 14 2006

Man City 3 Man Utd 1

City marched through the tunnel on the back of a dire Christmas period, United having gone 11 games undefeated. Despite the odds, City brought 10-man United down to earth. Stuart Pearce, Man City manager: “Our players were up for a real scrap.”

Feb 10 2008

Man Utd 1 Man City 2

A victory at Old Trafford would see City enjoy a league double. The fixture marked the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster and emotions were high but United could not contain a lively City. City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson: “We did agreat, great, great job today … it was very important.”

George Ramsay

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Leadership was a burden rather than a privilege last weekend when the four habitually dominant clubs all failed to score. There was an air of fatigue after a schedule crammed with domestic and European action. Those players imprudent enough to have been fit for friendly internationals were even more jaded. It may now be a slight sense of peril that stirs Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.

This is a careworn ascendancy. Arsenal, for the time being, have even slipped to fifth but others, too, are experiencing unease. All the compliments for Chelsea, for example, come with reservations attached. Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side lead the table but merely look exposed there. After the era of uncontrollable spending, the club is pinioned by budgetary concerns.

Roman Abramovich’s troubles during the current financial crisis get referred to as “paper losses” since they involve plummeting share values. That, however, is not academic for an oligarch monitoring the disintegration of assets that had looked robust. The balancing of the books at Stamford Bridge is a necessity rather than a hazy aspiration.

Chelsea cannot bring overwhelming force to bear against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge tomorrow. Scolari has one senior forward at his disposal in Nicolas Anelka and, even if Didier Drogba were free from suspension, the Ivorian would still have to convince sceptics that the knee injury does not mark the end of his time as a mighty presence.

No manager among the elite feels perfectly equipped. With his blend of disdain and ridicule, Sir Alex Ferguson inadvertently conveyed the impression that he is unsettled by the epic affluence of Manchester City. If he truly thought them insignificant, ahead of tomorrow’s derby, he would not have deemed Mark Hughes’ team worthy of extended derision.

For the time being Ferguson can be glad that the reshaping of City is at an early stage. Nonetheless they may be edging nearer to stability. The pairing of Vincent Kompany and Stephen Ireland in front of the defence looks influential, even if the demotion from the starting line-up of Elano is a regrettable price to pay for the progress.

City have much to achieve elsewhere in their squad construction. Robinho is as much creator as finisher yet, with nine goals to date, his tally is greater in this campaign than that of Jo, Benjani, Darius Vassell and young Daniel Sturridge combined. It could be, too, that Hughes will have to overhaul his defence. Nonetheless there is a modest possibility of City, with some brash expenditure, breaking open the four-club cartel in the months to come.

With Aston Villa already in the fourth spot, Arsenal could feel a twinge of status anxiety as they prepare to face Chelsea. There were surprising lapses of concentration in Scolari’s team during the midweek draw in Bordeaux but on their outstanding days they are irresistible. Foes, then, know exactly what Chelsea intend to do in midfield but are powerless to resist. Everyone is ready for the overlapping full-backs, but bottling up the flanks is of no avail if, say, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Deco are all cutting loose in the centre.

There are occasions, of course, when Scolari must yearn for orthodox firepower. Chelsea, beating United 3-2 at Old Trafford in the FA Youth Cup on Thursday, may conceivably be getting their development programme in shape now but they have hitherto scoured the globe without coming up with an exciting prospect for the attack.

Whatever the worries in other areas, Arsenal, as League Cup ties illustrate, do not flounder in talent spotting. The club takes the risk of treating this as its sole policy. If there is a weakness in one department, the implied answer appears to be that, in the long run, they will raise someone capable of remedying the problem. It is an attitude that implies there is limitless time available for the project.

Of course, ready-made solutions can prove illusory. It is a mere two years since Arsenal took the experienced William Gallas from Chelsea. The defender, of late, has been more of a pyromaniac than a firefighter. Both clubs will be on edge at Stamford Bridge. It can only be to the benefit of English football if they, along with United and Liverpool, are denied serene detachment in the Premier League.

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CURZON Ashton’s FA Cup dream was crushed at Kidderminster where visiting goalkeeper David Carnell’s first-half red card proved decisive.

DROYLSDEN were cruelly denied the opportunity of another famous FA Cup victory when their second-round clash at Chesterfield was abandoned at half-time due to fog with the Bloods leading 1-0.

NEMANJA Vidic has achieved his personal derby dream - scoring for Red Star in the Belgrade clash with Partizan.

RYAN Giggs admits he still feels the same way about derby day as he did as a kid growing up in Manchester.

UNITED defender Patrice Evra insists no feathers have been ruffled at Old Trafford by the Abu Dhabi United Group’s takeover of Manchester City this summer.

SIR Alex Ferguson has vowed to maintain United’s dominance over City for as long as he’s in management.

Serbian international linked with the Reds is granted a work permit.

The Stat Man will cash in if Rooney or Wright-Phillips finds the net first.

Rob Smyth: From the famous 5-1 to the Kanchelskis show, we pick half a dozen of the most memorable of neighbourly spats

Sir Alex Ferguson attended a hearing at which the club were granted a work permit for 21-year-old Zoran Tosic

Manchester United are granted a work permit for 21-year-old Serbian winger Zoran Tosic.

Man United granted work permit for Partizan Belgrade’s Zoran Tosic which means Serbian winger will move in January.

Manchester United have confirmed they have been granted a work permit for Serbia international winger Zoran Tosic.

Manchester United have confirmed they have been granted a work permit for Serbian international winger Zoran Tosic. The 21-year-old can now join the club during the January transfer window.

Tosic, one of the most highly-rated young players in Europe, is currently with Partizan Belgrade but a deal has reportedly been done to bring him to Old Trafford in the new year.

Tosic won rave reviews last year for his role in helping Serbia reach the semi-finals of the U-21 European Championships. Generally deployed down the left, he is fast and tricky and possesses a thunderous shot. He is also considered a dead ball specialist.

He will join fellow countryman Nemanja Vidic at Old Trafford, with the prospect of more to come as another Partizan player Adam Ljajic - a 19-year-old dubbed the ‘Serbian Kaka’ - is also thought to be in talks with United.

Old Trafford officials are staying silent on talks with Ljajic though, insisting there have been no developments.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Sheffield United chairman Kevin McCabe blames the club’s losses for the financial year ending 30 June on the ‘Tevez affair’.

Manchester United have been granted a work permit for young Serbian winger
Zoran Tosic.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson defends Cristiano Ronaldo after his bizarre sending off in Sunday’s 1-0 derby win at Eastlands.

BBC Sport’s Phil McNulty blogs on Sunday’s Manchester derby

ManUtd.com readers can help Cristiano Ronaldo win yet another award.

Get your fix of facts and figures for the 150th Manchester derby.

Follow all the action from United’s visit to Eastlands live on ManUtd.com.

Patrice Evra says the Reds want to win on Sunday for the fans.

Sir Alex Ferguson says Man Utd’s away day blues this season are a reflection of their tough fixtures.

Patrice Evra admits it is important for Man United to beat City following last season’s defeats.

Sir Alex Ferguson says Manchester United’s below-par away results are down to some tough fixtures rather than any underlying problem.United would normally have expected to register more than just two wins on their travels at this stage of the season.

Wayne Rooney has poured scorn on speculation that Manchester City can overtake United as the top club in the league and says he will start worrying about his ciity rivals when they are not lingering in mid-table.