Are City stealing United's X-factor? 15 Apr 2013 11:51
Are Manchester City stealing Manchester United's X-factor? Reds have got the better of City in the league but in such a cut-throat industry, simply winning is not enough.
Sunday was a telling day in the story of this season - Manchester City marched into the FA Cup final with a thrilling victory over Chelsea, United tramped down the dying embers of doubt over the Premier League title race with their win at Stoke.
What has been noticeable since is the difference in coverage and interest around both games, with City getting into the final comprehensively overshadowing United's Premier League title charge.
Granted, City's match was an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley and United's was a league game at Stoke.
But it was the manner of the performances that naturally drew different responses from fans and media alike.
United's win at windy Stoke was as perfunctory as possible. Stoke used to make an art form of being average but now it seems they've even lost that ability.
The Reds un-picked them first via Michael Carrick's toe poke following a corner and then through Robin van Persie's precision penalty.
United win thanks to two set-pieces, Stoke hoist by their own petard.
Van Persie and Sir Alex Ferguson were animated by it all but not many other people were.
As one fan wrote on this website after the match: "When was the last time you have watched Utd and come away thinking that was a brilliant game?"
Even Rooney dropping into midfield couldn't spark much life into the match.
But United won, as they have done for most of the season, and barring the biggest collapse of all time will win the league.
City, on the other hand, put on a thrilling show with Chelsea at Wembley.
Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero and James Milner were tearing all over the place while Yaya Toure put in a typically brilliant display.
The mercurial Samir Nasri is looking something close to his best and it all made for a fascinating spectacle - even without David Silva!
All this might well be of concern to United's fans and - dare I say it - the global deal-combing commercial team at the Reds.
The Old Trafford club are synonymous with not only success but also excitement. It seems ludicrous to say it, but a grinding Premier League title victory might not be enough in such a cut-throat world where clubs are forever searching out a new fans.
When you read stories like this about fan attendance at Old Trafford, the issue comes into sharper focus.
Players like Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley, Antonio Valencia, Anderson, Ryan Giggs, Javier Hernandez - do they really inspire edge-of-the-seat football? I believe Shinji Kagawa, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie do and am not suggesting for a minute that United have lost their X-factor.
What I am suggesting is there is a danger of that happening.
It's a tricky one for United. They invested a fair bit of money last summer in bringing Kagawa and RVP to Old Trafford, no doubt an element of those moves was motivated by the duo's box office appeal.
But there needs to be a critical mass of players who carry that spirit. It doesn't help that wingers Nani, Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia have had average seasons, while Rooney continues to play in fits and starts.
It just seems when you look at the City team-sheet there is more promise, more potential for fireworks, even if with that there is a higher likelihood of the machine breaking down on occasion.
Much has been made during Roberto Mancini's tenure at City about his management of the players, what with Carlos Tevez and ex-Blue Mario Balotelli's various escapades, and how Sir Alex Ferguson would never let that happen.
But in a bizarre way, all these antics at City feed into the character of the club. It's a sporting industry yes, but it's also an entertainment industry.
Have City stolen United's X-factor? Not yet, but it would be interesting to see which team a neutral would rather watch. And with a potential Champions League audience - many of them to be swayed - not far off one billion in prospect for next season the battle for hearts and minds is a key one for clubs.
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