Why the Manchester derby lost its cachet, and how it might be coming back around

It’s 13 years ago this month that the Manchester derby decided the Premier League title. Vincent Kompany’s goal in a 1-0 win at the Etihad Stadium in April 2012 was a huge step towards Manchester City lifting the trophy, which they got their hands on after a mighty scare from Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the campaign.

The 2012 derby was supposed to mark the start of a new era of Manchester dominance, the two clubs fighting for top honours at home and abroad, with games at Old Trafford and the Etihad having the same pull as Real Madrid vs. Barcelona. It’s not really worked out like that. Instead, Man United and Man City meet on Sunday in perhaps the most low-key derby of the last decade.

United are 13th in the table and have got one eye on next week’s Europa League tie against Lyon. City, meanwhile, need points to ensure they qualify for next season’s Champions League, but the title is long gone and on its way to Liverpool. Aside from the usual bragging rights, there’s not much at stake at Old Trafford this weekend.

How did we get here, are there causes for optimism, and can the Manchester derby get back to being the biggest game of the year?

MANCHESTER UNITED

What’s gone wrong for them?

You can separate United’s problems into those off the pitch and those on it.

Off the pitch, they’re paying the price for 20 years of mismanagement under owners the Glazer family. Money has been drained from United’s coffers, and what has been spent has been invested poorly. It has led to serious concerns that once one of the most profitable clubs in the world could breach Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) and suffer the consequences.

On the pitch, this season has been traumatic. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team dithered over whether to keep Erik ten Hag last summer. The Dutchman was eventually sacked in November and replaced with Ruben Amorim, who has tried to implement an entirely new playing style — only with players that don’t fit.

Amorim warned in December that “a storm will come,” and that’s exactly what has happened. United are on course for their lowest league finish in the Premier League era and the campaign now rests on how they fare in the Europa League. They play their quarterfinal first leg against Lyon four days after the derby.

The biggest issues affecting performances are a propensity to concede the first goal in games and a struggle to find the net at the other end. The problems scoring goals predates Amorim’s arrival, but he hasn’t yet been able to find a solution.

Are there reasons for optimism?

The biggest reason for hope that things may eventually start to turn around is that the Glazers aren’t in charge any more. They’re still majority owners; it’s clear, though, that they aren’t calling the shots. Ratcliffe and his new hires have made an underwhelming start to life as custodians, but there’s at least a new set of eyes and the makings of a plan to move United forward.

How will we get back to this derby being the biggest game in the calendar?

To be the biggest game on the fixture list, the Manchester derby has to be the game that decides the title, and that won’t happen until United get their act together.

City have had a poor season, but unless the Premier League hits them with massive sanctions, it’s likely to be a blip rather than anything more significant. United’s decline is far more terminal. Liverpool are going to be champions, and Arsenal have already given notice that they’re planning a major spend in the summer to bridge the gap. Newcastle United will eventually unlock their financial capability, and Chelsea also have the resources to compete.

It’s going to take some turnaround for United to go from bottom half of the table to contenders, and they’re probably looking at a four- or five-year rebuild before they’re legitimately in the conversation. The first job is to consistently qualify for the Champions League.

It would be fantastic for Manchester if the derby was deciding the title year after year, but right now, it feels like that’s a long way off. — Dawson

A harsh perspective of the Manchester derby is that it hasn’t been the biggest game on the calendar since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as United manager in 2013 because the Reds have been miles away from challenging City for the biggest honours.

Between 2008 and 2013, when United were the dominant team and City the emerging force, this was the absolute number one game in England and as competitive and significant as Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund, Celtic vs. Rangers. Name a great rivalry, and United vs. City was as big and meaningful as them all. It’s why Ferguson called City the “noisy neighbours” — they had been insignificant to United for decades until Sheikh Mansour’s money changed everything.

So while City have their issues to address, the onus is on United to restore the box office appeal of this game. Until they start to challenge for the Premier League title again, United will be behind Liverpool and Arsenal in terms of being a threat to City, who have dominated the city’s football landscape for over a decade now.

City will continue to be serious contenders for all the major honours unless they are hit incredibly hard by the Premier League. United? They are at base camp in their rebuild, and nobody can be certain it will work out, but unless they get their recruitment right and coach Ruben Amorim can revive a fallen giant, it’s the blue side of Manchester that will be the chasing the biggest trophies. — Ogden