BEIN SPORTS ANALYST KEVIN EGAN on The Huge Match, The Manchester Derby: Manchester City vs. Manchester United
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Special Report: The famed Manchester Derby is this week — as Manchester United hosts cross-city rival and current EFL Cup Champion, Manchester City, at Old Trafford on Wednesday, October 26 – 2 PM EST.
English Football League Excitement — Fierce rivals square off this week in the upcoming Manchester Derby on Wednesday. For the second time this season — these two teams face each other. Manchester United looks for revenge in EFL Cup clash, while Manchester City looks to maintain supremacy.
Out of their last 4 games, United has only won once and yesterday suffered a hugely embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Chelsea. This was particularly humiliating as Man United coach Jose Mourinho lost to his former club.
Manchester City is now on top of the Premier League table but has been losing lately with no wins in the last 5 games. While 92 teams compete for the EFL Cup, all eyes will be on the Premier League’s Manchester teams on Wednesday. Can Man United topple the current champions, Manchester City, who won their fourth Cup title in 2016?
Mike Dean, English football’s big-game referee will officiate at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Dean has already handed out 34 yellow cards and one red card in this EPL season.
What will happen when these two teams meet on the pitch? SoccerToday’s Diane Scavuzzo asked Kevin Egan that question. Egan, who says he was never good enough to play pro soccer back in Ireland, has been influential in the pro circuit covering the sport for years in America and now is a commentator on beIN SPORTS.
Egan began his career working for Ireland’s National Broadcaster, RTE, in which he covered the 2016 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, as well as the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League. Following his move to the United States, Egan was hired by the Chicago Fire as a Television Commentator/Analyst. He was also co-host of ESPN’s ‘Chicago Fire Weekly’ alongside Chicago Radio Sports veteran Fred Huebner.
Egan joined beIN SPORTS in 2015 as a Studio Presenter, Match Commentator & Analyst.
Diane Scavuzzo: What are the keys to winning this match?
Kevin Egan: Trying to get what is achievable – both teams are in trouble right now — Manchester City looks unsure and while it is very early in the season, the players look suspect. As bad as Man City is, Manchester United is worse.
Man U was so flat against Chelsea, losing to them 4-0 on Sunday. The players did not press the ball and had no aggression. Chris Smalling — who served as stand-in captain as Manchester United team captain Wayne Rooney missed out on Sunday’s game with Chelsea — is not a real captain for the team.
Diane Scavuzzo: What do the teams need to do?
Kevin Egan: Both teams need to focus — the players look unsure of what their role is, the players’ roles should be evident and powerful.
Diane Scavuzzo: What is at stake? Bragging rights?
Kevin Egan: A lot of pride – bragging rights is always with the derby, but with this one both teams are in a mini crisis. The Premier League brags they have the best teams, and then look what is happening with these two teams.
There is a lot more than pride at stake in this derby. The future of both managers could be on the line. If Manchester City loses by more than a few goals, serious questions could come up — and if Manchester City wins convincingly, maybe the Manchester United fans will abandon Jose Mourinho. It is not okay if you lose to your former team, Chelsea, and then lose again to your local rival, City.
Diane Scavuzzo: Why has it been so hard for these teams to beat each other now?
Kevin Egan: Growing pains.
We – the media – jump too quickly and are partially to blame for the pressure – Sir Alex Ferguson wasn’t successful in the first few years managing Manchester United. The media needs to give managers time to be successful. Ferguson would have been fired if he was coaching the team today.
We often forget what managers go through on a personal level as well with massive expectations, it is only right to give a manager half a season to get it right, but owners are less patient than ever. The stakes are much higher today, it is not like the mid 80’s anymore.
Diane Scavuzzo: Can Americans understand this fierce local rivalry? What is a comparison Americans could understand?
Kevin Egan: One team so dominant for so long, and then wealthy owners come in and buy the other professional team only miles apart and start becoming the noisy neighbors — and then become a real power.
The rivalry between United and Liverpool – these two EPL teams are 35 minutes apart, but the accents (of the people who live there) are completely different.
In England, soccer is a religion — fans are so obsessed with their club, there is real hatred. It is hard to understand in America.
The geography — perhaps a little like the rivalry between baseball’s Cubs and White Sox.
The rivalry in England is impacted by the geography — fans live one mile apart — for example Everton and Liverpool are so close together. The kids in school are divided by the teams they cheer for and fans have intense rivalries.
Americans want to buy into this type of rivalry, but our teams are so spread apart — it’s not the same. This intense rivalry is much more organic in the U.K. Another example is the huge rivalry between the Celtics and the Rangers in Scotland.
Diane Scavuzzo: Who is the better coach? Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola?
Kevin Egan: Pep – I think he is far more durable than Jose who has a wonderful way with players, but I believe Pep will be remembered more fondly than Jose.
Diane Scavuzzo: What are the odds… when these two teams meet for the second time this season on Wednesday?
Kevin Egan: Manchester City is the favorite to win. What is happening at United can’t be fixed straight away, I wonder what the locker room was like after the last game — everyone was passing the buck and blaming each other. Pep’s excellent squad has more balance.
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