what Mike Brown has done is at worse clumsy. from corse178's blog
Ahead of Sundays derby, live on Sky Sports 1 HD, we examine how the balance of power has shifted in Manchester - and what Pep Guardiolas arrival could mean for the rivalry… Pep Guardiola to City may have been footballs worst kept secret but the confirmation of his move to the Etihad Stadium in February still sent reverberations around the red half of Manchester. Alexander Wennberg Jersey .As City were tying up a three-year contract for the most successful coach on the planet and a man famed for his thrilling attacking football, United were in the midst of a haphazard plod through the season which has left their under-pressure manager Louis van Gaal looking increasingly forlorn. It was an alarming contrast. Fast forward six weeks and the Guardiola announcement appears to have done little to aid Citys title challenge under the outgoing Manuel Pellegrini, but on Super Sunday they have the opportunity to open up a seven-point gap on their neighbours, and after Uniteds Europa League exit against Liverpool, the spotlight is firmly fixed on Old Trafford once again. Pep Guardiola will replace Manuel Pellegrini at the end of the season Just twenty-four hours prior to United and Liverpool going head to head on Thursday night, Citys next manager had emerged from Bayern Munichs Champions League last-16 tie against Juventus with his reputation in tact thanks to an extraordinary salvage job in Bavaria.The hosts were in deep trouble at 2-0 down, but a four-goal response sent Guardiola into the Champions League quarter-finals for his seventh consecutive season as a manager. Not once has he fallen short of the last four. Nor has he ever finished a domestic season outside of the top two. It is statistics such as those that make Guardiolas imminent move to City appear all the more galling for United. Here is a coach capable of laying the foundations for years of Premier League dominance. How could Ed Woodward and the Old Trafford hierarchy have allowed their bitter rivals to swoop ahead of them?For their part, United insist there was no attempt to hijack the move, but if Van Gaal is relieved of his duties in the summer, widespread reports suggest Jose Mourinho will be the man they turn to. The former Chelsea manager has plenty of experience of going toe-to-toe with Guardiola, after all, and enjoyed sweet victories over the Catalan with both Inter Milan and Real Madrid. Mourinho and Man Utd A timeline of events involving Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal and Manchester United. Regardless of who is in charge of United next season, however, they are already playing a daunting game of catch-up with their neighbours. Few could have envisaged just how far the Reds would fall after Sir Alex Fergusons retirement in 2013, but City finished 22 points clear of them in 2013/14, and they were nine clear in 2014/15. United have endured a poor Premier League season under Louis van Gaal The gap is down to four points ahead of Sundays derby, but that is hardly due to progress at Old Trafford. And while Citys title challenge has faltered, they are still in Champions League contention and have already lifted the Capital One Cup. Uniteds only hope of silverware, meanwhile, hinges on an awkward FA Cup quarter-final replay away to West Ham.With Guardiola in charge and the promise of unlimited backing in the transfer market, it is difficult to envisage anything over than considerable improvement at City next year. Defence and central midfield are areas in need of improvement, but the level of surgery required is nothing compared to Uniteds. Hart v De Gea Which goalkeeper will come out on top in the Manchester derby? Injuries have exposed shortcomings in practically every area of Van Gaals squad, with the manager forced to thrust untested youngsters into the fray due to a glaring lack of depth and quality in the senior ranks.United can take heart from the emergence of teenagers such as Marcus Rashford and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, but repeated mistakes in the transfer market have taken a heavy toll over the last 18 months, with the brilliant form of Angel di Maria and Javier Hernandez at PSG and Bayer Leverkusen ramming the point home. Javier Hernandez has scored 23 goals for Bayer Leverkusen this season And while Guardiolas stay in Manchester may not extend beyond the three years of his contract, Citys huge investment in a new youth academy and state-of-the-art training facilities shows long-term preparation the like of which cannot be seen on the other side of the city - where a confused transfer policy points to muddled thinking.Citys long-term planning and strategy is clear, so is their succession planning, said Sky Sports News HQs James Cooper in February. In truth thats borne out by the building of the City Football Academy and the Manchester Institute of Health and Performance. How City persuaded Pep Sky Sports News HQs James Cooper explains how Man City lured Pep Guardiola to the Etihad. So while United grapple with decisions over their immediate future, City are already grooming Guardiolas successor. The New York City FC post is something of a job interview for Patrick Vieira, added Cooper. He is being seriously looked at as the next manager of the club after Guardiolas three years.With Guardiola on his way to City and given their own current malaise, its easy to see why United might turn to Mourinho. The 53-year-old is one of few coaches with a CV to rival the Bayern boss, and his trophy haul includes three Premier League crowns, two Champions Leagues and - most significantly - a La Liga title won at the expense of his old foe. Jose Mourinho has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United But what of the long-term? Mourinho talked of creating a dynasty at Chelsea, however his managerial stints tend to unravel spectacularly - and his return to Stamford Bridge was no exception. Transforming United back into major contenders would be his toughest challenge yet, and history highlights the risks involved.The outcome of Sundays derby could have a significant impact on how United finish the season and it could also influence their decision-making over the coming months. Whatever the result, though, it is impossible to escape the reality that only one of the Manchester sides is primed for long-term success. United are in danger of being left behind.Watch the Manchester derby live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 3.30pm on Sunday. Also See: Giggs: Martial the model Hart v De Gea Aguero: Title slipping away When Geoff met Martial and Sterling Joonas Korpisalo Jersey . -- Hunter Smith scored the winner with just 12 seconds remaining in the third period as the Oshawa Generals edged the host Sarnia Sting 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Zach Werenski Jersey . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. http://www.bluejacketshockeyonline.us/Gabriel-Carlsson-Jersey/ .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Ryan Hanigan was surprised he even got the chance. The Cubs decided to pitch to the Reds catcher with two outs, two on and the pitcher up next. Hanigan hit a three-run homer that put Cincinnati ahead to stay, and the Reds beat the Cubs 7-4 on Friday night for their fourth straight win. Joey Votto extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a solo homer, and Brandon Phillips added a two-run shot. But it was Hanigans second homer that made the difference. With starter Bronson Arroyo on deck in the fourth inning, Cubs starter Scott Feldman (4-4) fell behind 3-0 in the count to Hanigan, then decided to try to get him out. Hanigan worked the count full before connecting for a 5-3 lead. Surprised he even got the chance? "A little bit," Hanigan said. "At that point in the game, I didnt think a pinch-hitter was coming in. They went at me and I got a pitch to handle. That was a big turn in the game, a five-run inning." The game-turning pitch was a hanging curve. "That was a really bonehead pitch," Feldman said. "With the pitcher on deck, I threw the one pitch he can hit for a three-run homer. That one stings a little bit." The big inning kept the Reds on the upswing. Theyve won 12 of their past 15 games, surging to a season-high 12 games over .500. At 30-18, theyre three wins ahead of their pace last season, when they won 97 games and the NL Central. Theyve dominated the Cubs, winning 15 of their past 17. The Reds are 18-5 overall against the Cubs in the past two seasons. Chicago is last in the NL Central, having lost a season-high five straight. The Cubs (18-29) slid a season-low 11 games under .500. Votto and Hanigan homered in the fourth inning off Feldman, who had only one bad inning. Feldman gave up five runs in the fourth, the same number hed allowed in his past five starts combined. Phillips hit a two-run shot in the eighth off Hector Rondon. Arroyo (5-4) gave up three runs and six hits in six innings, including Feldmans first career homer. Jonathan Broxton allowed Luis Valbuenas RBI single in the eighth. Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 11th save in 13 chances. After blowing a pair of save opportunities, the left-hander has converted his past three. He gave up a single and a walk and fanned threee. Brandon Dubinsky Jersey. The Reds had their third sellout crowd of the season, and the last two games of the series will draw capacity crowds as well. The Cubs stacked their lineup with six position players and a starting pitcher who bat left-handed, trying a different approach against Arroyo. It worked, but not well enough. "I didnt feel great the whole game, to be honest," Arroyo said. "They ran seven left-handers against me. They had guys from the left side that I hadnt seen a lot. "It was a grind for me, to be honest." Arroyo had trouble keeping his pitches down at the outset. Darwin Barney had a sacrifice fly in the second inning, and Feldman followed with his first career homer, a two-run shot for a 3-0 lead. Cubs pitchers have driven in 15 runs this season, most in the majors. The three-run inning ended Arroyos streak of 15 1-3 scoreless innings, his best of the season. The right-hander has won his past three starts. Feldman had his streak of five impressive starts fall apart in the fourth. Votto led off with his eighth homer, extending his hitting streak to 12 games, the longest by a Reds player this season. He leads the NL with a .361 batting average. And that was just the start. Phillips followed with a single, stretching his hitting streak to a season-best 11 games, and eventually scored on Xavier Pauls single. Hanigans three-run homer -- his second -- made it 5-3. The five runs matched the most allowed by the Cubs in an inning this season. They were the most earned runs allowed by Feldman in a game this season. NOTES: The Reds have homered in each of their past nine games, their longest such streak since 2010. ... The Reds placed LH Sean Marshall on the 15-day DL before the game, the second time hes been sidelined by a sore pitching shoulder this season. LH Manny Parra was activated off the DL to take his place. ... LF Ryan Ludwick said his comeback from shoulder surgery is on schedule. He tore cartilage while sliding into third base on opening day. Hes expected back after the All-Star break. ... Umpire Bob Davidson called a balk on Arroyo. ... LH Travis Wood, obtained by Chicago in the trade for Marshall in December 2011, makes his fourth career start against the Reds on Saturday. Hes 0-1 with a 4.42 ERA against the Reds. Wholesale Jerseys 2018 Stitched Jerseys NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Jerseys NFL China NFL Jerseys Cheap ' ' '
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