Ander Herrera is at it again, trying to play mind games with Manchester City. The Spaniard has taken a page from his manager Jose Mourinho’s hand book, by doing the “they have the weight of expectations” maneuver on their intracity rivals.
Read this quote, and then ask yourself, “doesn’t this sound like something Mourinho would say?” (Of course for Mourinho the preferred target would be Chelsea, not City).
“Man City have spent the biggest amount in the Premier League so they are the principle contenders for the title,” Herrera said (transcript NBC Sports.com). “We will try to be there as well, we have quality as well, and we will fight for every title. But I think because of the money they have spent they are the favorites. We will try to be there but they have spent the biggest money in the league.”
“There is always pressure when you spend a lot but there is also pressure on us because we are the biggest club in England. We won three titles last season and City didn’t win anything. They are under pressure. They are obligated to win titles.
“We won three last season so they have more obligation than us. But you know when you play for Man United wining is an expectation and an obligation but I like that obligation to be honest.”
The two Manchester clubs currently sit atop the Premier League table, with 13 points apiece. Both sides have scored 16 goals and yielded two in this young season. Ander Herrera has made City his verbal targets in a couple previous instances. Last season, he said heading into the Manchester Derby League Cup match that United were fired up to get revenge for losing the league meeting in September.
In 2015-16 Ander Herrera said that the red side of Manchester had the better team, and claimed his side would end up finishing higher than the blue side of Manchester. He was ultimately proven wrong as City finished fourth and United finished fifth.
The Citizens played Champions League football the next season while United were relegated to Europa League.
Herrera seems to take this rivalry as serious as anybody, so you’ll know he already has December 9 circled on the calendar. It’s the date of the first Manchester Derby this season.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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