This Saturday, we could be lucky enough to witness the greatest Manchester Derby of all time.
Indeed, as if the Manchester rivalry hadn’t intensified enough since City’s first Premier League title win in 2012, the North West giants are now headed by Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola – two of the oldest foes in the business, well-acquainted with each other from either side of the El Clasico divide.
The latter insists upon tiki-taka-esque beauty at the heart of every performance, whilst the former couldn’t care if the watching world literally died of boredom en route to a 1-0 win. They’re complete yin-and-yang, yet arguably the greatest managers of their generation whose careers continue to intertwine.
Accordingly, we at FootballFanCast are incredibly excited for the Manchester Derby… but how would things be different if Guardiola and Mourinho donned opposite dugouts for Saturday’s 12.30pm kick-off?
With that in mind, here’s a look at the Manchester United XI we think Guardiola would pick if he was taking on the Citizens this weekend. How would Guardiola’s United XI fare in Saturday’s Derby?
GOALKEEPER – DAVID DE GEA
Arguably the best shot-stopper in the world and not too shabby with his feet either – boasting the seventh-best distribution record in the Premier League this season – Pep Guardiola surely couldn’t have many complaints regarding David De Gea. Then again, people said the same thing about Joe Hart at the start of the summer…
RIGHT BACK – ANTONIO VALENCIA
The attacking influence of converted winger Dani Alves was not only a pillar of Barcelona’s backline under Pep Guardiola but also the starting XI as a whole. Antonio Valencia may not be in the same calibre as the Brazilian but he operates in a similar way, adding dynamism, width and delivery from right-back.
CENTRE-BACK – DALEY BLIND
A classy player who compensates for his lack of physicality with technical quality and a unique level of tactical intelligence, Daley Blind is right up Pep Guardiola’s street. Despite allegedly preferring more physical breeds of centre-back, even Jose Mourinho has put his faith in the Netherlands international during the opening weeks of the season. Likewise, although Blind may not be the greatest defender in the world, he always seems to get the best out of his partner at centre-half.
CENTRE-BACK – MICHAEL CARRICK
Moving deep-lying midfielders to centre-half has been a recurring theme throughout Pep Guardiola’s managerial career. Now aged 35, but still one of the best passers in the business with a world-class reading of the game, Michael Carrick is a pretty strong candidate for the same transition. In fact, he’s made a few emergency appearances there for the Red Devils already.
LEFT-BACK – LUKE SHAW
A power-runner blessed with great technical ability, Luke Shaw is a phenomenal talent that the vast majority of managers in world football would love to get their hands on – including Pep Guardiola. The England international is just too good to leave out, although the alternatives aren’t exactly forthcoming at United, and after a few weeks of learning the ropes, he’d be a huge asset to the Spaniard’s tiki-taka style.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD – ANDER HERRERA
Ander Herrera’s hardly got a look-in this season, notching just 98 minutes in the Premier League. But, he’s a nimble, short and snappy midfielder who made his name as a No.10 in La Liga, I’m sure Pep Guardiola would view the Spaniard in a far fonder light.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD – PAUL POGBA
I’m not so convinced Pep Guardiola would have coughed up a world-record transfer fee to sign Paul Pogba but if the Frenchman was already at his disposal, the City boss certainly wouldn’t refrain from using him. After all, Pogba offers not only the physical dominance essential in the Premier League but also the type of technical flair Guardiola’s become synonymous with. Likewise, he’s United’s best central midfielder by quite some distance.
RIGHT WING – HENRIKH MKHITARYAN
Pep Guardiola loves pacey wide-men and Henrikh Mkhitaryan certainly falls into that remit. Indeed, a combination of scintillating speed and attacking flair saw the Armenia skipper bag 23 goals and 32 assists across all competitions for Borussia Dortmund last season. His United career has got off to a slow start but Guardiola would surely reserve a key role for the 27-year-old.
CENTRAL ATTACKING MIDFIELD – JUAN MATA
Jose Mourinho may be openly fearful of Juan Mata’s weaknesses but Pep Guardiola would be far more focused on maximising the playmaker’s strengths – potentially by moving him inside to a more natural No.10 role. The Spaniard may not be remembered in the same way as some of his Barcelona-based countrymen, but he’s still a top-class technical talent who can deliver a similar kind of football. Hopefully, prior allegiances with Real Madrid, where the attacking midfielder plied his trade as a youngster, wouldn’t stand in the way.
LEFT WING – ANTHONY MARTIAL
Pep Guardiola worked with Thierry Henry at Barcelona, so we at FootballFanCast assume he’d be delighted to have ‘the next Thierry Henry’ at his disposal. At the same time, Anthony Martial is a fantastic young talent and although he’s yet to make his mark this season, most managers would want to give the 20-year-old chances to further improve.
STRIKER – MARCUS RASHFORD
A notorious adversary of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and unlikely to be enthralled by the prospect of an ageing Wayne Rooney, FootballFanCast reckon Pep Guardiola would give Marcus Rashford the nod up front. He’s quick, potent in front of goal and so overflowing with potential that the City boss would feel confident of converting him into a real great. Likewise, the 18-year-old is still young enough to be moulded into a ‘Guardiola-style’ centre-forward.